


Who Knew?

by andyetismile



Category: The Boondock Saints RPF
Genre: Attraction, Consensual Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2019-08-24 09:23:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16637249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andyetismile/pseuds/andyetismile
Summary: She'd always wanted to go to Comic Con in San Diego, but she never expected to get quite so much out of it.





	1. What happens at Comic Con...

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this story is going to end up, but I have ideas bouncing around like crazy in my head and I'm trying to get them all down to make a coherent story. If I can work them all in, it's going to be long. Also, smut is on the way, so this story is rated E.
> 
> If this chapter has captured your interest, please leave me a shout-out. Thanks!

It was Friday afternoon on a sunny San Diego day and the crowd was thick and full of excitement. Casey wove her way through the horde, smiling at the costumes and occasionally stopping someone to ask for a photo if they were dressed as a character she recognized.

Her friend Elaine pulled her arm. "Look!" she said. "There are the art vendors!"

The girls meandered the tables. Some of the art was quite stunning, and Casey decided she wanted to buy something. She always looked at the art when she went to these conventions but never treated herself to anything. She could hang it on her spare room. Suddenly, she knew exactly what she wanted. She began rifling through a book with a purpose.

The vendor saw her focus. "Hey," he said, offering his hand. "I'm Adam. You look pretty intense there. Looking for something in particular? Maybe I can save you some time."

Casey shook his hand and smiled. "I'm Casey, hi! Yeah, I'm looking for something with the Boondock Saints boys. Do you have anything?"

"Yeah, in this book here," replied Adam, handing her a different book. "You looking for both boys together, or do you have a preference?"

"Thanks," Casey said as she started flipping through the pages. "No preference, but I'd like something with both boys and Romeo."

"Hmm. I don't have much with the sidekicks, but there are a few."

Casey stopped flipping. She'd found a composite of the brothers and Romeo, with Romeo at the far right. It was close-ups of their faces, but only the left-hand sides were lit. The right sides faded into shadows. Their expressions were cold and serious, and the half-faces were tightly pressed together to fill the frame, each one encroaching into the shadow of its neighbor. The word "NAOMH" came vertically down the left side of the frame in the shadow of Connor's face, and the letter O was the heads side of a penny. The whole design was in black and white with "naomh" written in cracked, charcoal gray Old English letters.

"This one," said Casey. "This is fantastic."

Adam smiled. "Thanks," he said. "I have another one like it with Rocco's face instead of Romeo's. Do you want to see that one?"

Casey pondered for a moment before answering. "Nah," she decided. "I like Rocco too, but I'm kind of partial to Romeo."

Elaine came over and peeked over Casey's shoulder. "Whatcha got?" she asked.

"Look at this," said Casey.

"Oh, that's amazing!"

"I was thinking of hanging something in my spare room. I like this a lot."

"So you're going to buy a copy?"

"I think so." Casey turned to Adam. "What sizes do you have?"

"I only have that one as an eleven by fourteen," he answered.

"Do you have a tube I can keep it in until I get it mounted?"

"Absolutely."

They completed their transaction and Casey took a business card, promising to check out his website. Casey and Elaine continued to peruse the floor, stopping at a few other vendors that had trinkets, shirts and novelties. Elaine bought a tank top with the MacManus family prayer on the back and Casey bought a bracelet that had Boondock Saints charms. She bought the bracelet in a bigger size so she could wear it on her ankle, and she put it on right away.

They eventually made their way to the autograph tables. The crowds were predictably heavy there. They made their way slowly through the area, looking and gawking at the celebrities that were smiling and shaking hands with excited fans. They took their time looking around, geeking out over all the familiar faces they never thought they'd see in person. They wove their way around lineups, and excused themselves as they had to pass through a few to get by.

"Wow, some of these lineups are crazy," said Elaine.

"Yeah, I kind of feel bad for the people whose lineups are short," Casey replied.

"Do you want to meet anyone?"

"Uh, I want to meet everyone."

Laughing, Elaine took her arm and pulled her. "Well, I know we absolutely can't leave here without meeting at least one MacManus brother, no matter how long the lines are. Let's go!"

They went to the tables where the stars of “The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” were set up and took a few moments to stare. In order from left to right, they saw Norman Reedus, Sean Patrick Flanery and Clifton Collins Jr.

"There they are!" said Elaine, grabbing Casey's arm and pointing.

Casey followed Elaine's finger. As soon as she saw them, her inner geek reared its head.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, grabbing Elaine's wrist and covering her mouth. Elaine grabbed her back and started bouncing. The girls giggled together and stared, excited that their all-time favorite movie characters were sitting fifty feet away from them.

"Wow," Casey said as she gawked. "They're so much better looking in person!"

"I know! As if that's even possible!" Elaine took a breath and exhaled slowly. "Ok, so if we're gonna go meet these guys we need to calm down so we don't look like crazy fangirls."

Casey laughed. "Yeah, that's definitely not the impression I want to give. I mean, maybe we both are deep down, but they don't need to know that."

"Where should we go first?"

The lineups were longest Sean and Norman's tables. Clifton's wasn't short, but it was shorter. Casey glanced at Clifton, trying to gauge his face. He was smiling and seemed to be engaging the fans he was meeting.

"Do you want to see Clifton first?" she asked Elaine.

"Are you sure? We don't know how long these lines are going to take. What if there's no time to meet Sean or Norman after?"

"I think we'll be ok.”

“Of course you do. You and your little crush.” She poked Casey’s arm.

Casey stuck her tongue out and poked her back. “There's still another hour for the signings, there's no way the lines can take that long."

"Ok, but if I miss out on meeting a MacManus, you're dead."

"Deal."

They got in Clifton's lineup and waited. They passed the time people-watching and smiling as they overheard excited fans geeking out around them. They eventually struck up a conversation with the couple standing in front of them. The couple had their 4-year-old son with them. Their names were Eric and Ramona, and their son's name was Alex.

"Wow, you guys came all the way from Montreal?" Ramona asked.

"Yeah," answered Elaine. "We’ve wanted to come to this con forever."

"That’s cool. We’ve been coming for years."

“Yeah, even before this little guy was around," Eric chimed in. Alex was hanging onto his leg, and Eric was trying to keep from falling over.

"That’s cool. You guys are lucky to live so close to it."

"Alex, can you please stop that?" she said, turning to her son. "You're going to pull Daddy's pants down."

Alex pouted at her. "I wanna go!" he said. "I wanna see Spider-Man!"

"I'm sorry about him," Eric apologized. "He loves Spider-Man, and there's someone wandering around in costume that’s doing a really good impression. He's getting bored waiting in line."

"That's ok, it's almost your turn," said Casey.

Sure enough, Eric and Ramona were next in line. Ramona squatted down to Alex's level and took his hand, speaking to him calmly.

"Ok Alex, it's almost over. Look, we're next! If you can be good for a few more minutes, we'll try to go find Spider-Man!"

Still pouting, Alex whined "But it's taking so long!"

"Alex, please? Can you be good for two minutes so we can say hello to the movie star?"

"He's not a movie star. I don't know him. Spider-Man is a movie star."

Getting an idea, Casey started shuffling through the music on her phone. "Hey Alex," she said, "how about we do a dance together? By the time the dance is over, I bet Mommy and Daddy will be ready to go find Spider-Man."

Ramona looked at her. "Would you really do that?"

"Sure, as long as you're ok with trusting a stranger to look after your son for a couple of minutes."

Ramona looked to Eric. "Sure," he nodded. "We'll only be a few feet away."

Casey finally found what she was looking for just as Eric and Ramona walked off to Clifton's table. "Land of 1000 Dances" began to play. She handed her backpack to Elaine and started to shimmy her shoulders.

"Are you ready to dance?" she asked Alex.

"I'm so recording this," said Elaine as she pulled out her phone.

Alex stared at Casey. She could tell he was fighting a smile, so she turned up the volume and reached for his hand.

"Come on Alex, dance with me! This is the best song ever!"

Reflexively, he brought his hands up to hers. Before he could change his mind, she took them and started to sing along. Unable to help himself, Alex started to giggle. He let her move his arms and started rocking his head.

"Yeah, get jiggy!" said Casey.

"Did he say mashed potato?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, dude! Look, this is how you do it." Casey let go of his hands and started stepping to the beat. "Try it with me!"

Alex clumsily threw his feet from side to side, trying to copy her. "That's it!" she encouraged. "And look, this is how you do the alligator!"

She began scissoring her arms in front of her and Alex immediately copied her. "Look, I can do it!" he cried.

The surrounding crowd had turned their attention to the woman and boy dancing at the front of the line. Even Eric, Ramona and Clifton were watching, unbeknownst to Casey. She didn't realize the attention she'd garnered until she heard people in the crowd sing along to the chorus:

_"Na, na na na na,_  
_Na na na na, na na na, na na na,_  
_Na na na na!"_

She looked around quickly and saw smiling faces everywhere. She smiled back and put her attention back to Alex. The pair lost themselves in the rhythm of the saxophone, dancing until the song ended. Now bubbly and grinning from ear to ear, Alex bounced at Casey's feet.

Casey heard applause. Looking around, Casey saw that Elaine wasn't the only one who had recorded her. People in the line behind them as well as those in neighboring lines all had their phones aimed at her. Realizing she was probably going to end up on YouTube, Casey laughed, but she stopped when she looked over to Eric and Ramona.

They were clapping too, and so was Clifton. All three of them were smiling, and Eric and Clifton also had their phones out. As it sunk in that Clifton might have just recorded her, she blushed hard.

"Can we dance again?" asked Alex.

"I think I'm tired now, buddy," she replied, "and your mom and dad are almost done. Maybe another time? But you can practice if you want. Do you remember how to do the alligator?"

Alex started dancing to music in his head as Casey turned to Elaine. "Oh my god, I think Clifton recorded me," she said.

Elaine laughed. "Of course he did! So did practically everyone! You're going to go viral on social media!"

"Hah, sure I will. 15 minutes of fame, here I come!"

"Maybe more than that if Clifton posts his video," smirked Elaine.

Casey thought about that for a moment. "You think he would?"

"Why not?"

"I'm pretty sure he sees other things that are way more interesting. Especially at a Comic Con."

"Hey, you never know! Wouldn't it be cool if he did, though?"

Casey smiled, glancing over at Clifton. "Yeah, I guess it would be."

As she glanced over, she saw Eric shaking Clifton's hand. Ramona turned to them and called for Alex, who bounded over to his mother. She picked him up and Casey heard her introduce him to Clifton, who shook the boy's hand and struck up a quick conversation with him.

Elaine became squirmish. "It's our turn!"

Watching Clifton interact with Alex, Casey felt butterflies form in her stomach. It was sweet to see him so engaged with a child.

Suddenly, Clifton turned and looked directly at her. Their eyes met, and his mouth turned up in a slow smile. She stared in disbelief. _Is he really looking right at me?_ she thought. _Is he smiling at me?_

She then realized that Eric and Ramona had moved away. Clifton was waiting for them to approach his table, and Elaine was suddenly pulling her arm.

"Come on!" Elaine said through clenched teeth. "Don't just stare like a creeper!"

Snapping out of it, Casey was suddenly extremely nervous. She let Elaine lead her to the table. Once they were there, she looked up at him and felt a jolt.

Up close, he was somehow even more handsome. The photos of him she'd seen didn't do his features enough justice. His large, soft, brown eyes were the type she could lose herself in. His lips were wide and full, and as he smiled at them in greeting, she could see just how perfect his teeth were. His Mexican heritage had blessed him with a tanned complexion and dark hair. He had a look that was exotic and warm and very sexy.

"Hi!" said Elaine, putting Casey’s backpack at her feet. "I'm Elaine."

Clifton shook her outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you, Elaine." He turned to Casey. "And you are...?"

"Casey," she said. As he shook her hand, she took in how his hand felt. It was warm and firm. Her hand didn't disappear in his, but his was noticeably larger.

"Nice to meet you too, Casey," he said. "Eric told me you were keeping his son company for him? That was real cool of you."

Casey gave a small shrug. "It was better all around, really. They got to meet you without being embarrassed by a screaming kid, the rest of the crowd didn't have to deal with a screaming kid, and the kid's in a better mood now. Everybody wins."

"Yeah, and we all got videos of a fun girl dancing like no one was watching," he smirked.

Casey chuckled nervously. "Yeah. I guess I'll end up on someone's social media somewhere."

Clifton wiggled his eyebrows. "You're already there, sweetheart."

Elaine gasped, then burst out laughing. Casey blushed under his gaze. Her hand came up to hide her face.

"Oh my god," she mumbled.

Clifton laughed. "Aw, don't be embarrassed. You weren't embarrassed while you were dancing, were you?"

When she chuckled, he reached out and gently took her hand. "Hah, see? It was awesome! C'mon, don't hide your face." She allowed him to pull her hand away. He adjusted his grip so that he was holding just her fingers.

"There, that's better," he said as he lowered their hands to rest them on the table. Not letting go, he turned his attention to Elaine. "So where are you two from?"

"Canada," Elaine replied. "Montreal."

"Montreal? Oh yeah, that's in the French area, right? Are you guys French?"

"No, but we speak it."

"Yeah? Say something."

Elaine thought for a second before speaking. "Je suis très contente d'avoir eu la chance de vous rencontrer."

"Nice! What did you say?"

"I said I'm very happy that I got to meet you."

He smiled. "Thanks. I'm glad too, you girls are chill."

Just then, the man sitting with Clifton leaned over and said something quietly in his ear. Clifton's eyes dropped and he nodded quickly. He looked back up at the girls apologetically.

"I gotta move on, I'm sorry. I gotta limit my time so I can meet everyone, you know?"

"Oh that's ok," said Elaine. "Can you sign something for us quick?"

"Sure, what have you got?"

"Casey, where's that art piece you bought? Do you mind if he signs it?"

Casey had been standing silently, listening to Elaine and Clifton's conversation, trying not to stare at her fingers that were still wrapped in Clifton's. When she heard her name, she snapped back to attention.

"Oh yeah, that works. It's in my bag," she said.

Excited, Elaine hunched over to unzip the backpack. Clifton smiled at Casey and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.

"You're quiet," he said. "You're not still embarrassed, are you? Do you want me to delete the post?"

"No," she smiled, returning the squeeze. "I wasn't really embarrassed, I was more just surprised. I wasn't expecting to have a celebrity post about me on his social media, you know?"

He chuckled. "Ok, good. I don't want to make you feel bad and go home telling everyone about what an asshole I was."

Casey laughed. " No worries. From the impression of you I get from your Instagram, you're a far cry from an asshole."

"Oh, you follow me?"

"Yeah."

He smiled. "That's where I posted you. Wanna see?"

She smiled in return. "Sure, why not?"

Clifton reached to his back pocket, finally letting go of Casey's hand. As he pulled his phone out, Elaine reappeared with the tube from Casey's backpack.

"Here it is!" she said as she handed it to Casey.

Casey opened the tube and carefully slid the print out. She unrolled it on the table in front of Clifton. He put his phone down so he could look at it properly.

His eyebrows shot up, impressed. "Hey, this is cool. You got this here?"

"Yeah. He said he also had one of the brothers with Rocco, but I liked this one better."

"Yeah, me too." He winked, making her blush again.

He signed the print and handed it back. "I kept it to the side so you have room to get those two bozos to sign it too," he said endearingly, thumbing towards Sean and Norman's tables.

"Thanks," she said, looking over her shoulder. "We'd better go before we get in trouble for taking up your time."

"You won't. I will. But I don't really care. I like talking to people."

Casey rolled the print back up and slid it back inside the tube. As she knelt to put it in her backpack, she heard Elaine ask "Can I have a hug?"

"Sure thing," he answered. When Casey stood back up, Clifton had met Elaine beside the table and had her engulfed in a hug. As he let her go, he met Casey's eyes.

"C'mere, sweetheart," he said, opening his arms for her and looking at her softly. His eyes were driving her crazy, and she blushed for what felt like the hundredth time as she walked into his waiting embrace.

She thought she was going to melt. He held her firmly, his arms swallowing her up. They were cheek-to-cheek, and his beard tickled her face. She could also smell his cologne. She didn't know which one it was, but it blended perfectly with is body chemistry and made him smell amazing. She quickly inhaled the scent, allowing a prickly wave to pass through her body before letting go.

As he stepped back behind his table, he picked his phone up to put it away but then remembered why he'd taken it out in the first place. "Oh, hey, I meant to show you the video."

"It's ok," Casey said as she walked to the front of the table to get her backpack. "I'll find it later. I don’t want you to get in trouble. I'll leave a comment."

"All right, cool. I'll look for it. What's your username? Here, write it down so I don't forget." He held his phone out. There was a notepad app open on the screen.

Elaine was still standing beside him, so she reached out. "I'll do it so she can grab her bag. I think we're getting the stink eye from your friend there."

Clifton glanced over his shoulder. The man sitting with him tapped his watch. "Yup, we are." He handed his phone to Elaine, who typed as Casey swung her backpack onto her back.

"There you go," Elaine grinned as she handed Clifton's phone back.

Clifton glanced quickly at the screen as he lowered his hand to put the phone away. His hand slowed and he smiled for a moment before the phone disappeared into his back pocket.

"Hey, don't laugh at _my_ username, Mr Wupass," Casey joked.

Clifton grinned at her. "Wouldn't dream of it. Take care!" He raised his hand in salute before turning his attention to the next person in line.

As Elaine and Casey walked away, Elaine grabbed Casey's arm. "Oh my god, that was amazing!" she said.

"I know! He was so nice!" Casey felt her body start to relax. She hadn't realized she'd been so tense.

"Pff," Elaine huffed. "He was beyond nice! Did you smell him when he hugged you?"

Casey laughed. "Yeah, it was pretty hard not to. He smelled so good!"

They decided to get in line for Sean Patrick Flanery next. It moved faster than they thought it would. When it was their turn, Casey thankfully felt less anxious than before.

"Hey, you're the girl who was dancing over at Cliff's table!" exclaimed Sean.

Casey hung her head and chuckled. "Jesus, I'm never going to live this down."

"No way, darlin'. That was the best thing I've seen at the con so far!"

They all shared a laugh and chatted for another minute. Sean signed the print for Casey, leaving room for Norman Reedus in the middle.

"Shit, I don't think we'll have time to meet Norman," said Casey, looking at her watch.

"He'll be meeting people again tomorrow," said Sean.

"Ok cool. Thanks for the signature. It was great to meet you!"

"You too, darlin'! Enjoy the con!"

The girls walked away regretfully, looking over at the people in line for Norman Reedus. The autographs were going to wrap up very soon.

"Do you want to come back tomorrow to try and meet Norman?" Elaine asked.

"I don't know," replied Casey. "I mean, I'd like to meet him, but we'd have to buy a ticket for tomorrow. And really, that's the only thing we'd be coming for, since we've seen everything today. But we'd get to meet Norman and I'd have all three signatures on my print..." she trailed off.

"Dude, the admission price would totally be worth it."

"Yeah," Casey smiled. "Let's do it. Tomorrow was a free day anyway."


	2. Wrong Number?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clifton takes Casey by surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure how fast the story would progress. I'm just letting it go at its own pace. No smut just yet. The story is still in relationship-development mode.

They stayed for a while longer, going back to see a few vendors and taking pictures with cosplayers and attendees who were in costume. After a half hour of wandering, Elaine's stomach began to grumble. 

"Hey, I'm getting hungry. You?" she asked. 

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she nodded. "Yeah, I could definitely eat. Hang on, I got a text message." 

Her screen showed an unknown number. "Uh oh. Someone's got a wrong number," she said, sliding the phone back in her pocket. 

Elaine snapped her head up. "Really?" 

"Yeah, I don't know this number. I don't even know the area code, actually." 

"You should read it. Maybe it's important." 

Casey laughed. "Well it won't be important to me. Besides, I won't be replying to it." 

As she spoke, she felt her phone vibrate again. "Oops, there they go again." 

"But you can still read it, right? C'mon, I'm curious." 

"Yeah, I can see that. Ok fine, hang on." 

Casey took the phone back out and unlocked the screen. She pulled up the message and read it. Confused, she read it again. 

"What..." she whispered. 

Beside her, Elaine was jittery. "What? What? What does it say?" 

"It..." Casey couldn't believe what she was reading. "This has to be a joke." 

"For fuck's sake, what does it say?" 

Casey stood there staring at her phone, speechless. She handed her phone to Elaine for her to read the messages herself. 

Unknown:  _Hey, I heard you didn't get to meet Norman today. If you're still here you can come meet him now. Let me know. We're leaving in 10 minutes._

Unknown:  _Oops, this is Clifton by the way :-)_  

Elaine squealed. "Holy shit! He actually texted you!" 

"It can't really be him." 

"Yes it can! I gave him your number!" 

"You _what?_ When?" 

When I gave him your Instagram username. I wrote the name down, then I wrote ' _Here's her cell #'_  and gave it to him."  

"You just gave him my number, just like that? Without asking if I was ok with it? What the hell?" 

"I knew you'd say no. But even if I had asked and you'd said no, I still would've done it." 

"And what made you think that would be a good idea? Why would he even want it?"

"Because he held your hand and wouldn't let go. Because I saw the way he looked at you. And because after he hugged me, he didn't just hug you. He  _held_  you." 

Casey stared at Elaine, not knowing how to react. She was angry with Elaine for giving out her number without permission, but how could she stay angry when she'd just gotten a personal text message from Clifton Collins Jr? 

"Hello? Earth to Casey!" Elaine waved her hand in front of Casey's face. "You need to reply to him! He's leaving soon!" 

"I don't know what to say." 

"He's offering to let you meet Norman Reedus. Say yes, stupid!" 

Elaine grabbed Casey's phone and wrote a message back to Clifton:  _Hi! That would be awesome! Where do we go?_  Then she saved the number in the Contacts list. 

"There. Now you have his number, too." 

The phone vibrated with a reply from Clifton. Elaine read it out loud. " _I'll meet you where the photo ops were. 2 mins?_ " 

"That's right over there, around the corner." 

Elaine wrote back:  _We're already close by. See you soon_  

The girls were there in thirty seconds. They looked at the curtains, trying to figure out where to wait. 

"Text him again, tell him it's closed off and we can't get in," said Elaine. 

"I'm pretty sure he knows it’s closed." 

"Why would he tell us to come here if we can't get in?" 

"I don't know." 

"Text him. Tell him where we're standing." 

"No! I'm not going to annoy him with a million texts. He said to come here, and we're here. Now we wait. If he doesn't come, he doesn't come." 

"...there you are." 

Casey jumped at the voice behind her. She spun around and saw Clifton peeking through the curtain. 

"Oh my god, you scared the crap out of me." 

Clifton smiled. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain," he said, wiggling his fingers. 

As she laughed at the reference, Elaine came up beside her, smiling. "Hi!" she said. 

"Hey!" he smiled back. "Come on, before someone sees us." He held the curtain open for them, and they quickly went through. 

Elaine turned to Clifton. "This is really awesome. Thank you so much!" 

"No problem. We just gotta stay low, you're not supposed to be back here without a pass. Come on. If anyone asks, we'll say you're with me and hope for the best." 

He started walking and the girls followed close behind. They ended up in a room with Norman and Sean, who were sitting on a sofa and looking at Sean's phone, smiling. 

"Hey, there they are!" Sean said, standing up. He left his phone with Norman as he approached the girls, giving them each a hug. 

"Hi again!" said Elaine. 

"Hi," said Casey. "We weren't expecting to see you guys again." 

"You've got Cliff to blame for that," replied Sean, cocking his thumb at Clifton. "I told him I met you, but Norman didn't. Cliff said he somehow acquired your number?" He arched an eyebrow at Casey. 

Casey’s hands went up in defense. "That was Elaine's doing. I had no idea." 

Elaine grinned. "Yup, that was me." 

Sean smiled. "Well, I guess your little dance made quite the impression." 

"Don't pay any attention to him," Clifton interrupted, shaking his head. "He likes to talk." 

Norman got up from the sofa and walked over to them. He handed Sean's phone back to him. "Nice dance," he said, walking up to Casey. "I just saw the video." 

Realizing what he was saying, Casey gaped at him. "That's what you were watching?" 

"Yup. You've got some killer moves." 

"Oh my god," Casey blushed. 

Norman laughed. "Nice to meet you too," he said, giving her a hug. He turned to Elaine and greeted her with a hug as well. 

"So you've got something for me to sign?" he asked, taking a Sharpie out of his pocket. 

"Yeah, if you don't mind," said Casey. 

"No problem." 

Casey took the print out and handed it to Norman. He quickly signed it and handed it back. 

"It's a nice print," he said. "I like black and white." 

"Me, too," she replied. "They had it in color too, but your expressions here are all so focused, like deadly focused, and color would have distracted too much from that. It wouldn't have had the same effect." 

Sean, Norman and Clifton all raised their eyebrows at her. "Are you a graphic designer or something?" asked Clifton. 

Casey snickered. "Or something. Accounting is how I make my living, but photography is my thing. I do it a bit on the side." 

"Wow, from one end of the spectrum  to the other!" 

"Yeah, I know. I'd like to do photography full-time, but it's hard to find time to get something started. There's so much to do to start up." 

Just then, a woman popped her head into the doorway. "Hey guys, your ride is here," she said. 

"Ok, thanks," said Clifton, who was the closest to the door. He turned back to Casey and Elaine, looking pensive. Then he flicked his eyes over to Sean and Norman, raising his eyebrows questioningly. Sean nodded back to him. 

Seeing the exchange, Elaine smiled mischievously. "Aw, you guys are so cute, being able to communicate without speaking. I thought only couples or twins could do that." 

Casey burst out laughing as the boys gave Elaine a surprised look. Once Casey started laughing, the boys and Elaine joined in. 

"Ok, that was a good one," admitted Sean. "I wasn't expecting that. You girls are funny." 

"What I was asking," said Clifton, "was if they'd mind if you were invited to eat with us." 

Casey and Elaine stared at him for a moment. "For real?" asked Elaine. 

"Yeah. Unless you have plans already, that's cool." He looked at Casey. "I'm curious about your photography." 

Casey looked around the room. "There are too many of us to all fit in a car."

"We've got a van, there's plenty of room." 

"Oh. Well... I..." 

"We don't have any plans, and we'd love to eat with you guys!" Elaine interjected, saving Casey from having to answer. 

"All right," smiled Clifton. He took a step back and motioned towards the door. "Shall we?" 

Elaine hooked her arm with Casey's and led her out the door and followed the woman who'd popped her head in. The woman pulled out a walkie-talkie and spoke to someone, advising them of the two extra passengers. The group zigzagged through the building until they reached the back entrance. The woman stopped at the door and turned to the girls. 

"The best thing to do here is for you girls to go to the van first. No offense, but no one will care who you are. They'll ignore you once they realize they don't know you. Get in the back of the van, all the way in the back so you're out of sight. Then these guys will follow you. If you all go out together, or if you get into the van after the guys do, the crowd will hound you to find out who you are and rumors will start." 

"Gotcha," said Elaine. 

"Ok," said Casey. 

The boys stood back as the door opened. There was a landing with a short staircase leading down to the sidewalk. As the door swung open, there was shouting. The girls stepped out and saw the van a few feet away from the staircase. A fence had been set up to keep the crowd at bay, and there were security guards keeping everyone in check. 

The crowd quieted down to a buzz when they saw the girls. Casey heard someone say "Who's that?" and chuckled to herself. She and Elaine walked briskly, aware of the dozens of pairs of eyes scrutinizing them and the whisperings of curious fans. They got in the van, seating themselves on the back bench as instructed, happy to be out of sight. 

"Wow, that was intense!" said Casey. "She wasn't kidding, those people would've mauled us." 

Suddenly, the crowd began hollering. The girls looked through the tinted windows and saw that the boys had stepped out, and the crowd had turned rowdy. They watched as the boys grinned and walked up to the barricade. They took photos, signed autographs, and made quick small talk with the fans as they slowly made their way towards the van with an ease and grace that only experience could bring. When they reached the van, they raised their hands to the crowd and thanked everyone before hopping in and closing the doors. 

"You ladies ok back there?" asked Sean from the front passenger seat. 

"We're good!" said Elaine. 

"All right, then. Let's go eat." 


	3. Dining With the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Casey and Elaine hang out with the boys over a meal, then get a bonus invitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Relationships are evolving. Slowly, but still evolving. The next chapter is almost ready, and is longer. I may need to split it in two. That one will come after the new year. 
> 
> Happy whatever-you-celebrate and see you in 2019!

They went to a small diner for some easy food. They chatted as they ate. As the conversation flowed, the novelty of being in the presence of celebrities wore off and Casey became much more comfortable. They chatted about the convention, movies that the boys had already made, and the food they were eating. While Elaine spoke to Norman and Sean about the Boondock Saints movies, Casey and Clifton had their own conversation. 

"I'm so sad for you that you only ordered a salad," Casey said through a mouthful of french fries. 

Clifton shrugged. "You gotta do what you gotta do. You get used to it." 

"Do you exercise, too?" 

"Not to bulk up, but I exercise enough to keep in shape. What about you? Or are you one of those who has insane metabolism?" 

"I wish! I do yoga and I hit the gym a couple of times a week for cardio. I also like to walk and swim." 

"Oh, you're a swimmer?"  

"Not in the way you're thinking, just socially. I'll get together with friends to hang out and we'll go swimming." 

"Ok, that's cool. I like to be in the water, too. It feels good to stretch out all your muscles." 

"I know, right? That's why I like yoga." 

"You must be really flexible." 

Casey stared at him for a brief moment before glancing down at  her plate, a slow smile and a blush spreading across her face. "Well, I guess I could be bendy if the situation required me to be." 

Realizing what he'd said, Clifton's eyes widened. "Oh shit!" he exclaimed as his hand flew up to hide his own blushing face. "Fuck, I'm sorry, that's not what I meant!" he stammered. 

"I know, but the door was wide open and I couldn't resist," Casey laughed. 

"Fuck," Clifton repeated before finally laughing at himself. "That came out sounding so crude." 

 It's ok, it was funny. And it didn't really sound bad until I opened my big mouth." 

They laughed together. As Casey felt the redness in her face seep away, she realized she felt much less awkward around Clifton now than before. 

"So, moving on to a completely different topic," said Clifton, "tell me about your photography."  

"Oh, right. Well, like I said, I don't do it full-time."  

"But it’s more than just a hobby?"  

"It started out as a hobby. As I realized how much I liked it, I started really getting into it. Researching and experimenting, you know?"  

"Experimenting what?"  

"Oh, everything. Lighting, composition, posing, effects."  

"Ok, so you shoot people? Like portraits?"  

"Technically, yes. I played around with lots of different types of portraiture to see if one thing was more fun than another, and I found I preferred shooting boudoir and pin-up."  

"Oh, that's cool!"  

Casey nodded. "It's really fun."  

"Do you have any of your work that I can see?"  

"Oh, uh, sure."  

Casey pulled out her phone. As she navigated into her photo albums, Clifton moved his chair closer to hers. As she felt his presence, her pulse quickened and she silently took a deep breath. She caught the brief scent of his cologne again and had to stop herself from closing her eyes and savoring it. Focusing on her phone, she found the album she was looking for. She handed the phone over to him.  

"It's this album here," she pointed.  

Clifton opened the album and looked at the first photo. "Hey, that's really good," he said.  

"Thanks."  

He slowly scrolled through the photos, taking time to properly look at each one. Casey's eyes darted back and forth from his face to his hands handling her phone, waiting nervously for his reaction. His eyebrows were raised and his lips were parted in a half-smile. After scrolling through  a handful of photos, he flicked his eyes over to her.  

"These are fantastic," he said, and she smiled. "You're really talented." He continued scrolling. "And this is only a hobby?" 

"Not only. I've had contracts here and there. Here, I'll show you which ones were clients." 

She pointed out a few that she was paid for as he scrolled through the last of the photos. "You can tell I was paid for those because the hair and makeup is more professional."  

"Pff, they all look professional. You should do this for a living." 

"I'd love to, but I just don't have the time to dedicate to doing everything that needs to be done to start up a business. I get clients here and there and that's ok. It actually paid for my trip here."  

"That's kinda too bad. You're so good." He turned his attention to the others. "Hey Norm, look at these."  

Before Casey could protest, Clifton handed her phone to Norman, who started scrolling through the photos with Sean looking over his shoulder. 

"Damn!" Sean whistled. 

"Shit, these are great," said Norman, impressed. He looked at Casey. "Is this your work?"  

"Yeah."  

"And you don't do it for a living?"  

Clifton chuckled. "That's exactly what I said."  

"That's also exactly what I tell her  _all the time_ ," Elaine chimed in. "She's amazing, and not just with the camera. She's good at making people feel comfortable. It's not easy for most people to pose half-naked."  

Sean smirked. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience."  

Elaine smirked back. "As a matter of fact, I'm in that album."  

"No way. Which one?"  

As Elaine took the phone and scrolled through to find her photo, Clifton looked over at Casey, who was looking uncomfortable. He spoke to her quietly.  

"You ok?" 

She looked at her water glass, poking at the ice with her straw. "Yeah." 

Clifton examined her face. "You're upset because I showed the pictures to Norm." When she hesitated to answer, he knew he was right 

"I'm sorry. I thought you'd like to show them to a fellow photographer. He's had shows for his work all over the world. You know you can't make a business if you don't show people what you can do." As the words left his mouth, he came to a realization. "That's why you don't do it full-time. It's not the work to start it up. It’s the promoting. You don’t know how? Or are you too shy?"  

Casey chuckled quietly, but she didn't answer. Before Clifton could press her further, Norman reached out to hand her phone back to her.  

"You're fucking good. You need to follow that passion," he said.  

"If you're ever back in California, I want you to come shoot my wife," said Sean.  

Casey smiled at him. "Only your wife?"  

Sean picked up on her insinuation. "Oh no, not just her," he said, putting on his best effeminate accent and emphasizing heavily on his S's and flicking imaginary hair away from his face. "You need to shoot me too, honey. I absolutely adore the feel of lace and silk on my skin. It makes me feel so chic." 

Everyone laughed. "That's a real thing, you know. Male boudoir," said Casey.  

Norman looked at her. "For real? Men pose like that? 

"Well, I've never had a man want to pose in lingerie, but I have no problem with fetishes." They laughed, and she continued. "I was talking about men wanting to have a sexy photo shoot. They call it dudoir." 

The boys all laughed. "Oh honey," said Sean, continuing with the accent. "I am so all over that."  

"No problem," said Casey. "I also do couples boudoir, if you want to be in some shots with your wife."  

"Oh yeah?" Sean dropped the accent. "Hey, that could be fun."  

They finished eating. Despite the girls' protests, Clifton paid for their meals. "Hey, I invited you," he reasoned. Once the bills were settled, they stepped outside so Norman could smoke.  

"So what are you girls up to now?" asked Sean.  

"Probably nothing," Casey answered. "Just go back to the hotel and take it easy."  

Sean smirked. "Party time?"  

Casey laughed. "Yeah, sure. We have a big party planned for just the two of us."  

Sean shook his head. "It wasn't a question. It was an invitation."   

Casey's eyes skimmed the boys. "You're inviting us... to a party?"  

"I'm inviting you back to our hotel to continue our enchanting evening over a bottle of Jack."  

Without hesitation, Elaine exclaimed "We're in!"  

"Oh my god, I'm so dead," Casey giggled.  

"You don't drink?" asked Clifton.  

"Oh I do, I'm just an embarrassingly cheap date. I'll be on the floor after one shot of whiskey. Just so you're aware, I'll need supervision."  

"We can stop on the way and get something else for ya. What do you usually drink?" 

"Oh no, I don't want to make it complicated. I'll just drink slowly."  

"Are you sure?"  

"I'm sure."  

"Ok then." Sean clapped his hands and rubbed them together, walking towards to curb. "Let's grab a cab and get this party started!"  

Sean managed to find a taxi in just a few minutes. Once it was pulled over, he realized there were too many of them to fit. 

"Should we ask him to call in and have something bigger sent for us?" asked Elaine.  

"Nah, I feel bad hailing this guy down just to use him to call us a bigger ride. Maybe he can take a few of us and call a second cab for the others?"  

He poked his head in the taxi and spoke to the driver. A minute later, Sean stood up again.  

"Ok, a second cab's on the way. This guy can take up to three of us."  

"Ok, so you boys go ahead and I'll wait for the next cab with Elaine," said Casey.  

Clifton shook his head. "Nope. I'll hang back with you."  

Casey snapped to face him, butterflies fluttering in her stomach and disbelief showing on her face. "Huh? Why?"  

"Because we're stopping at a liquor store on the way back and you're gonna tell me what you want to drink."  

Casey hung her head and covered her face with one hand. "Oh my god," she muttered.  

"Well we gotta decide quick, the cabbie's waiting on us," said Sean.  

"Go," Clifton said to Elaine. "Get in."  

"You're sure?" she asked.  

"Yup. Is there anything you want to drink?"  

Elaine shrugged. "Nah, I'll drink whatever she's drinking."  

"Cool. See you at the hotel."  

Norman and Sean climbed in the back seat and Elaine hopped in front. As the taxi drove away, Casey's butterflies came back. She was alone with Clifton. Clifton, a sexy movie star who had just bought her supper and was about to buy her a bottle of alcohol and was going to hang out with her for the rest of the evening. Was this actually happening, or was she going to wake up at any moment?  

"So," started Clifton, "what do you drink?"  

Casey chuckled nervously. "You really don't have to do that."  

"I know, but I want to. It won't be any fun if you're passed out after twenty minutes. Let's get you something that you can last on. So, what?"  

Casey looked at him for a moment, then dropped her gaze, shaking her head and smiling to herself.  

"Loopy juice," she said.  

"What?" Clifton asked, puzzled.  

"Loopy juice," she repeated. "It's what we drank in the dorms in university." 

"What's that?" 

"Vodka with whatever flavor of juice you like best. Kool-Aid, frozen punch, whatever." 

"Ah, so you're a vodka girl. That's a pretty strong drink too, you know. You sure you won't be on the floor?"  

"As long as there's portion control and as long as I don't drink it straight." 

"Ok then. Any preferred brand?" 

"Nah. If you're buying, you pick."  

Clifton snickered. "Heh heh, all right."  

The taxi arrived and Clifton asked him to stop any whatever liquor store was on the way to the hotel. Casey waited in the taxi while Clifton ran in. He emerged with a bag and jumped back in the car.  

"What did you get?" Casey asked as the driver pulled away from the curb.  

Clifton pulled the bottle halfway out of the bag. "You speak French, so I went French."  

Casey looked at the label. "Grey Goose?"  

"Would you have preferred Smirnoff?"  

"No. Actually, Grey Goose is my favorite."  

"Hah! I'm good!" He held his hand up for her, and she laughed as she high-fived him.  

"Hey," Clifton said to the driver, "are there any grocery stores on the way?"  

"Sure, just a few blocks up."  

"Can we stop for a minute? Gotta get something to mix this with." 

The driver pulled into a parking lot. Clifton ran in again and came out with a big jug of Hawaiian Punch. "This good?"  

Casey chuckled. "Yeah, that'll work."  

“Ok then, let’s go.” 

As they pulled out of the parking lot, Casey looked at the vodka in her hand and hoped that the butterflies in her stomach would settle down enough so that she wouldn’t make a fool of herself. She made a mental note to keep her drinks weak and avoid the whiskey if she could. Norman Reedus, Sean Patrick Flanery and Clifton Collins? This was definitely going to be a night to remember.


	4. To Be Continued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A revealing conversation brings Casey and Clifton closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's still building up, but it's getting there. Let me know what you think!

When they got to the hotel, Casey followed Clifton up to the room. 

"Are you guys sharing a room?" she asked when they got off the elevator.

"Nah," Clifton replied. "We get our own rooms. We're going to Sean's." 

"Are you all in this hotel?" 

"Yeah, it's easier to hang out that way. We just all get our own space. Can you knock?" he asked, gesturing to the beverages that were occupying his hands. 

Casey knocked and Sean opened the door. He smiled devilishly as he moved aside for them to enter the room. 

"Well well, look who decided to show up! What took ya so long?" 

Chuckling at Sean's ribbing, Clifton shook his head. "Stopped for more booze," he said. 

"More booze? Jesus, what kind of party are you turning this into?" 

Clifton shrugged. "She likes vodka. We stopped for vodka." 

"And who's drinking the Hawaiian Punch?" 

"It's to make loopy juice." 

Sean stared at him, an amused smile slowly emerging. "Did you just say 'loopy juice'?" 

"He bought it for me," Casey chimed in. 

Sean turned to her, smirking. "Well, wasn't that sweet of him?" 

Casey looked Sean in the eye and smiled, accepting the challenge. "Why, yes. Yes, it was. Did you ask Elaine what she likes to drink? Did you stop anywhere on the way here to get anything for her?" 

Sean smiled back at her and folded his arms, standing his ground. "Elaine had no problem with Jack Daniels." 

"You didn't answer my question." 

His gaze didn't waiver. "No I didn't ask her what she likes to drink, because she was very willing to come once we told you guys what we already had." 

"That's right. But she never actually said she liked Jack. You were just glad she was willing to settle. But you know who did ask her? Clifton." 

"Well, there you go. I didn't need to ask." 

Casey snickered. "You mean you didn't need to be a gentleman because your friend did it on your behalf? You were awfully quick to hop in that cab. You're a Texas boy, right? I guess Southern hospitality only applies if you're actually  _in_  the south." 

Clifton had moved into the room with Elaine and Norman. They were sitting on the bed, watching Casey and Sean's exchange. At Casey's last comment, Norman and Clifton burst out laughing. 

Sean was looking at Casey incredulously. "Are you implying that I'm not a gentleman?" 

She smiled. "No. I'm flat-out saying it." 

"And what about Norman? He was there, too." 

"Norman didn't start running his mouth the second we walked in the door." 

Norman and Clifton laughed again. Sean finally broke eye contact with Casey to glance at them. When he looked back at Casey, his gaze had softened and he was smiling. 

"I like you." 

Casey smiled back. "I guess you're all right, too." 

Sean laughed. He put an arm around her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. Casey laughed with him. 

The evening went on. They drank and talked and joked around, enjoying the new company. The girls got the boys to taste the loopy juice, and the boys found that they didn't hate it as much as they thought they would. 

Casey and Clifton were able to have some more one-on-one conversations. Casey knew that Clifton was involved with a charity called Homeboy Industries, and when she asked him about it he was happy to tell her more. Listening to him, she couldn't help but smile at the passion and caring in his voice. 

After a while, Norman excused himself to go out on the balcony for a cigarette. After the door closed behind him, Sean asked the girls "Hey, you girls wanna see the view from here?" 

"Sure," said Casey, picking up her cup. 

They all piled onto the balcony. Norman watched them come out, amused. 

"Wow, you all miss me that much already?" he joked. 

There were two chairs on the balcony. Norman had already taken one. The second one was offered to the girls, and Elaine took it. Clifton leaned against the balcony, Sean leaned against the door and Casey sat on the floor under the window.

“Here, Casey. Take my chair,” Norman offered.

“No, I’m good. You stay there.”

They all got comfortable and continued their chatting in the night air. Norman took the opportunity to smoke at his leisure, much to Sean's displeasure, who nagged him. 

"I'll get you to quit one day," Sean promised. Norman chuckled. Smiling, Elaine reached her hand out to Norman. 

"If I can steal one from you, I'll smoke with you." 

Norman's eyebrows went up and he smiled at Sean triumphantly. "Absolutely," he said, handing his pack and over to Elaine. She shook one out and handed it back. 

"Here," said Norman. "Allow me the pleasure of helping you light it." 

"Why thank you, kind sir," Elaine answered. She leaned forward as Norman held out his lighter. 

"Aw c'mon," whined Sean. "Don't encourage him! I'm so close to getting him to quit!" He paused for a moment, pensive. "Hey, wait. You didn't smoke before." 

"I'm not a regular smoker," Elaine answered, "but I'll smoke socially sometimes." 

He turned to Casey. "What about you?"

"Nah," she answered. "I was never interested in trying it. What about you two?"  

Sean shook his head. Clifton smiled and answered "I prefer something else." 

She laughed. "Ok, that's a whole other conversation." 

The group lounged outside for a while, relaxing in the cooling night air. Finally, Sean finished his drink and announced "I think it's time for a refill, I'm dry." 

"Yup, me too," said Norman. He stretched as he stood up. 

"Are you making more loopy juice?" asked Elaine. 

"Nah, I'm going back to the Jack." 

"Me too," said Sean. 

"Ok, I'll come make myself some." Elaine turned to Casey and Clifton. "You guys want anything?" 

"I'm good." Clifton held up his cup, still half-full of loopy juice. 

"I want more," said Casey. "I'll come in with you, just let me get up. I shouldn't have sat on the floor, I think my ass fell asleep." 

She put her cup on the floor beside her and started to get up. As she shifted, she felt a tingling sensation and fell back. 

"Ugh. Yup, my ass fell asleep," she laughed at herself. "Can you help me up?" 

She reached out to Elaine, but Clifton intercepted. "I got it," he said to Elaine. "Go on in, I'll help her up." Turning to Casey, he asked "Will you be good to walk?" 

"Yeah, I'll just need a minute to let the feeling come back." 

"It's ok," said Elaine. "I'll get your refill, don't worry about it." She picked up Casey's cup and disappeared inside as Casey gripped Clifton's hand with both of hers. 

"Ready?" he asked. "On three. One, two, three!" 

As Casey was pulled up, she felt the numbness begin to subside. "Oh boy," she said. "Here come the pins and needles." 

Clifton chuckled. "In your ass?" 

Casey snickered and ducked her head, blushing. "Hey, the floor is hard, ok?" 

"You should have leaned against the balcony like I did." 

"Oh, no. Heights make me nervous." 

"Really? Why did you come out here?" 

"I'm good as long as I'm back here. I like looking out, I just don't want to look down or be too close to the edge." 

"Ok." He turned to look out at the sky. "It's good that you can at least enjoy the view." 

"Yeah, it's nice. I wish I had my camera." 

Clifton walked over and sat on the chair that Norman had vacated. He adjusted he second chair so that it was beside him, then gestured toward it. "Are you able to sit yet, or is your ass still tingly?" 

Casey laughed. "Still tingly, but not so bad. It's didn't come on too strong and it's passing pretty quick. I'll go slow. Let's see how bad this is." 

"Here, let me help you." 

He got up and offered his arm. Casey looked at him, smiling in thanks as she grasped it. As she looked at him, their eyes met. Their faces were barely two feet apart, and seeing his soft brown eyes that close nearly mesmerized her. She quickly dropped her gaze, instead focusing on where the chair was so she wouldn't fall. She sat slowly and found that it's wasn't too uncomfortable. 

"You ok?" Clifton asked, amused at the look of concentration on her face. 

"Yeah, actually, I'm fine..." her words faded as she looked up into his face again. He was smiling, and his perfect mouth sent a frisson through her. 

"Yeah? You don't need to get up?" he asked.

"Nah," she said, snapping out of it. "My ass is good." 

He laughed. "All right, cool. I'm happy for your ass." He sat back down in the chair beside her, still smiling. 

"So I'm trying to figure you out," he said. 

She looked at him, furrowing her brow. "Figure me out?" 

"Yeah. At the con, you danced with that kid to keep him quiet. You had all those people around you and you really danced like no one was watching. You didn't mind that you were the center of attention. But then when we met, you were so shy. You barely spoke, even though it was just the three of us. There was no audience. And now we're all talking, we're all laughing, you went up against Sean when he started running his mouth, you're making jokes about your ass... and you really threw me off at the restaurant when you twisted my words around and made me feel like a pervert!" 

Casey laughed. "That was funny, though. Right?" 

He chuckled. "Yeah, it was. But it threw me off. You're outgoing, then you're shy, then you're dirty... So who are you?" 

Casey looked down at her cup. She opened her mouth to speak, but paused, searching for the right words. Finally, she spoke. 

She made a fist with her left hand and tapped the middle of her chest. "At my core, I really am shy. When I was small, I was the most extreme definition of it. I always liked to smile and to laugh and to have fun, but talking to people I didn't know was scary for me, so I never got to share that part of me with anyone. I had a really hard time making friends. I didn't have many for most of my childhood. I was the kid who got picked on all the time. I had one real friend from elementary school until the end of high school." As she spoke, she slowly turned her body to face Clifton. He was leaning forward resting his forearms on his thighs, focused on her. She continued. 

"But she wasn't quite like me. Throughout high school she made other friends here and there, and she slowly grew apart from me. It really hurt when I realized that she was basically leaving me behind. After graduation, we never spoke again. We ended up going to the same college, but I never saw her around. 

"When classes started, I told myself that this was going to be different. It was a new school, and it was a school where I had some freedom. I made my own class schedule. I was free to wander the campus and see and the hangouts. But the best part was,  _nobody knew who I was_. Up to that point, I'd gone to school with the same group of kids my whole life. But these people were new. These people didn't know me or the kind of person I was. These people were older, more mature. I was free to be whoever I wanted. I could be anybody. 

"So I pretended to be who I really was, if that makes sense. When I started meeting people in my classes, I told them my name was Charlie, and it triggered something in me. Just like that," she snapped her fingers, "everything changed. Who I was inside was finally able to come out. I was like I became a whole new person. It sounds kind of weird, but lying about my name was the most liberating experience of my life." 

"Wow." Clifton had been watching her intently, hanging on her every word. He sat back in his chair, taking it all in. "That's quite the story. You really told people your name was Charlie? Did they ever find out your real name?" 

Casey snickered. "Yup. It took a few weeks, though. The people I made friends with were all in the same program as me, so we had most of the same classes. The first time one of our teachers handed back an assignment, they called our names out and I was busted." 

"What happened then?" 

"Well, they were confused." They both laughed. "I wasn't expecting to be outed like that and I was kind of a deer in headlights, so I just told them the truth. And you know what? They didn't mind. They laughed, they told me I was nuts, but then we all went on and it wasn't weird. They kept calling me Charlie, though." 

"But you stopped using that name, right? You didn't tell me your name was Charlie."  

"I stopped, yeah. Right away after I got busted. But it was ok. I'd already broken out of my shell. No, I'd shattered it. And there was no going back." 

"That's really amazing. Good for you. You're brave." 

Casey smiled. "Thanks. It changed my life. It was such a weird thing to do, but it really changed my life." 

"So if you're past all that, why were you shy when you met me? Did I do something to make you feel uncomfortable?" 

"No, not at all. I'm kind of... sporadically extroverted, I guess. It's not a natural thing for me, so I'm not always good at it. I'm not shy anymore like I was, but it's still there. It's still a part me. If I get the urge to make a fool of myself, or if I want to go up and talk to someone or ask a question, I have no problem doing it. But you're different. You... intimidated me, I guess? Not because you did anything, just because you're you. I don't classify you with the random people I see around me every day. You're a celebrity. Beyond that, you're a celebrity that I admire and..." she trailed off. 

Clifton raised his eyebrows at her. "Admire? Really?" He laughed when she blushed. "You said 'and'. And what?"

She bit her bottom lip, chuckling nervously. "I guess I'm busted again. Ok, fuck it. Let's see how hard I can blush. And..." She hesitated, but forced the words out. "...I find you very attractive." 

He stared at her, a slow smile steeling its way across his face. "Well, thank you." 

"Well, you're welcome," she giggled nervously. She continued quickly, trying to soothe her red face. "So because of those things, I was shy to meet you. The closer I got to you, the more nervous I was, so when I was finally at your table my brain was blank and I kind of clammed up. Dancing with that kid was actually a welcome distraction." 

"Sean didn't mention you were shy with him. He said you were all talking." 

"I wasn't so shy with him." 

"But you were with me." 

She smiled at her hands. "I guess I was starstruck." 

"Well, that's extremely flattering." 

Casey shrugged, still smiling. Clifton took another sip of his drink and said "I think you are too, you know." 

She looked at him, confused. "You think... I'm starstruck?" 

He laughed. "No. No, I think you're past that, if you even really were. I mean attractive. I think you're attractive, too." 

Casey's face went blank. What did he just say? 

"Uh..." she stuttered, her eyes huge and staring. Clifton chuckled. 

"Oh." She smiled and exhaled, realizing what he was doing. "Thank you, but you don't have to say that just because I did. I don't expect anything." 

He gave her a mischievous half-smile and leaned forward in his chair. "So when I texted you, do you think that was because Elaine somehow pressured me into doing it?"

She sat in silence, staring as she processed his words. Her heart was racing and her mind was swimming. After seven long seconds of silence, he reached out and took her hand. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, as he had at his table at the convention.

"You caught my attention when you danced with that kid. You looked so carefree and happy, and you were just so damn pretty. Then when we met, you were really sweet even though you seemed so reserved. I wanted to get you to talk more, and I was silently cursing the guy who kept telling me to hurry up and move on. I figured the Instagram post would be an easy enough way to find you again, maybe try to have another conversation at a later point. Elaine was perceptive, though. Now that I got to see her personality a bit more, I'm surprised she didn't flat-out call me on it. Did she tell you what she wrote on my phone?" 

"I thought she just gave you my Instagram name. She told me only after you texted me that she'd given you my number. She wrote something else? " 

"Yeah. She wrote  _She's blind but I'm not._ "  

Casey laughed, shaking her head. "Fucking Elaine." 

"I'm not complaining." 

She glanced at him. His eyes were on their hands. She followed his gaze down to watch his thumb still caressing the back of her hand. 

"Yeah, me either," she said softly. 

After a moment of contemplation, he looked up at her. "You really are pretty." 

She didn't look up, but she gave a shy smile. It was all the encouragement he needed. 

"Can I kiss you?" 

Her eyes darted up to meet his in surprise. They dropped down for a brief second to glance at his lips before coming up again. Clifton watched as her face changed from confusion to disbelief to flustered in the space a two seconds.  

Not wanting to pressure her, he quickly said "You can say no if you want. I won't be offended." 

"Yes," she said.

He smiled and let go of her hand. He turned his chair to face her, then leaned forward and gripped the sides of her chair. He spun it to face his. Surprised, she gasped and flailed her arms trying to stay balanced. 

"Don't worry," he smiled, "I gotcha." He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her, and she gripped his arms. "Is this still far enough away from the edge for you?" 

"Yeah, this is ok," she answered. "That scared the crap out of me, though!" 

"I'm sorry. Here, let me make it up to you." 

He raked the fingers of one hand through her hair below her ear and cradled her head gently. Leaning forward, he held her in place as his lips met hers. 

As they made contact, Casey inhaled slowly and deeply. Clifton lingered as she exhaled. They kissed several short, slow, soft kisses, feeling each other. Clifton's lips were full and soft, and Casey could feel the heat building inside her. 

He kissed her one last time, letting his lips linger lazily before pulling away from her. She sighed at the loss of contact. She opened her eyes and met his. 

"Can we do that again?" she whispered. 

He grinned. "Come here," he said, tugging her arms. She leaned forward, but he kept pulling until she was standing over him. 

"Sit," he said. 

Before she could think about how the others would likely be back any second, she sat on his lap. When his arms went around her waist, she closed the gap and put her arms around his shoulders. She initiated the kiss this time, and she let her body take over. 

He parted his lips as he kissed her, and she followed his lead. Their tongues found each other, and she moaned softly into his mouth. As his grip tightened around her and she pressed her body into his, they lost themselves in each other. 

The kiss was slow, deep and passionate. Casey's body was burning. The sensation of his tongue gliding against hers, the tickle of his whiskers, the feel of his lips on hers, the firmness of his grip on her; everything was kindling to her fire. They savored each other and held each other closely, Clifton's hands caressing all over her back as she arched her body into his. 

Casey didn't know how long they'd been kissing when they finally broke for air. They sat, foreheads together and still embracing, their breaths heavy from the intensity of the moment. 

"You are delicious," Clifton panted. 

Casey giggled. "I taste like loopy juice." 

Clifton snickered. "I didn't mean it that way." He brought one hand up to cup her chin. He began planting small kisses along her jaw. Casey sighed and closed her eyes. She tilted her head for him, and he lazily trailed the kisses up to her ear. She sighed when his beard tickled her more. When she felt his breath hot over her ear and down the side of her neck, the muscles between her legs clenched. A loud groan escaped her. 

He smirked as he continued kissing her neck. "Sensitive spot?" he whispered. 

"Mmm," she murmured. "Feels so nice." 

He kissed her a few more times before burying his face in her neck and giving her body a tight squeeze. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her cheek against him. 

"I gotta stop," he said. "I'm sorry." 

The suddenness of his change of heart startled her, and her heart sunk a little.  _Well shit,_  she thought.  _I should have figured it was too good to be true._  She took a second to steel herself before answering. "It's ok. I had no expectations anyway." She made herself smile. "That was still fun, though."

He pulled away so he could look at her. He gently caressed up and down her sides. "I like you. A lot. To be continued?" he asked hopefully. 

Her face went blank in confusion. "But... you said you wanted to stop." 

"For now. I don't want to get carried away while that door could open any second." He dropped one hand to rest on her thigh and gave it a squeeze. "So, to be continued?" 

Her chest loosened and she couldn't help the smile of relief that spread across her face. She kissed the tip of his nose playfully. "I like you a lot, too. To be continued," she confirmed.


	5. And Then It Was A Slumber Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the smut! Casey and Clifton find some alone time and take full advantage of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy. Leave a comment, I'd like to hear what you think. 
> 
> JUNE 8, 2019 EDIT: Had to make a quick change after realizing I made a mistake, but it was nothing major and it was just one sentence. It's all good now.

She let go of his shoulders so she could stand up. As she shifted her weight to rise, she was sure she felt a bulge under her hip. Unsure if he'd meant for her to know about it, she kept a straight face and focused on standing up, keeping her back to him as she put the other chair back where it originally had been and hoping she appeared nonchalant. She didn't rush placing the chair, and she sat down leisurely. When she finally looked at him, he'd shifted his posture a little and had an ankle crossed over his knee. She suppressed an amused smile.

She looked over at the door as a distraction. "I wonder what's taking them so long."

He laughed. "Maybe Sean was still ranting about the cigarettes. Elaine doesn't seem like the type to back down from a debate."

"You got that right. Plus, she’s drinking." They both laughed.

"So you've really never tried smoking?" Clifton asked.

She shook her head. "No. I was never really exposed to it in high school. A lot of kids did, but I wasn't friends with any of them so I never had the peer pressure. By the time a cigarette was ever offered to me, I was grown and wise enough to refuse."

"You ever try anything else?"

Understanding his meaning, she smiled. "No. It was offered to me, but I didn't see the point."

"Does it bother you?"

"Nah. I just didn't feel like I needed it. I've been curious, but never enough to actually try it."

"Do you mind if I do?"

"No."

He smiled. "I meant, do you mind if I do right now?"

"Oh!" she chuckled. "No, go ahead."

"Cool. It's in my room, I'll be right back."

"Ok."

He stood and made his way around her to the door. As he passed her, he stopped to lean over her. She looked up at him questioningly. He cupped her face with one hand, then he smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Later," he said softly.

She smiled back. "Later."

He caressed her cheek with his thumb for a moment before kissing her forehead one more time. He straightened and went to the door. He stopped halfway there and turned around again.

"Where are you girls staying?"

"I think our hotel is closer to the con than this one," she answered. Puzzled, she asked "Why?"

He paused. When he finally answered, he spoke slowly and carefully. "Would Elaine be offended... if you... stayed somewhere else tonight?"

Casey gaped at him. "I... uh..." she stammered. "No, I don't think so. I'd have to ask her to be sure."

"Ok, I'll tell her you want to talk to her."

He smiled once more before disappearing inside. Once he was gone, she grinned stupidly and pulled her legs up, hugging her knees to her chin. Was he really implying that he wanted her to spend the night with him?

Moments later, Elaine came out the door. She took Clifton's place on the empty chair. "Hey!" she exclaimed.

"Hey yourself!" Casey grinned. "It took you guys that long to pour drinks?"

"Nah. They were trying to get me to drink the Jack."

Immediately noticing the difference in her speech, Casey smiled. "And how much convincing did it take?"

"Hey, I can hold my ground."

"I know, that's why I'm asking. You guys were in there for a while. You must have held out for a long time."

Elaine grinned. "Fuckin’ Sean thinks he's so wordsy and shit. Well, I had words too."

Casey giggled. Elaine was hilarious to talk to when she drank. "But you finally had some, right?"

"Well, yeah. I'm not a pussy. I just didn't want to make it easy."

"Shots?"

"Oh my god, fuckin’ Sean is fuckin’ brutal. He poured three shots."

"You had 3 shots of Jack?"

Elaine huffed. "Almost! I said I'd have some, so fuckin’ Sean poured three shots and lined them up. He didn't tell me there was one for each of us!"

Casey laughed, partly at the story and partly at Elaine’s seemingly new nickname for Sean. "So what happened?"

"Well, I took a shot. Then I took another one. When I took the second one they were like, hey! What are you doing? And I was like, I'm drinkin’ the shots you poured me! And he was like, they weren't all for you!"

Casey's head fell back as she howled with laughter. "That's so you! Oh my god, that's hilarious!"

Elaine smiled proudly. "I know, right? But then they were all impressed that I was willing to drink them all, so we're like, best friends now."

Noticing the cup in Elaine's hand, she asked "So are you still drinking Jack?"

"Nope. Back to loopy juice." her eyes slowly widened and she turned to face Casey. "Oh shit. Was I supposed to get you some?"

"It's ok. I can go get some later. I think you should slow down for a bit, though." Damn, she thought. I can't leave her alone tonight. Disappointed, she wasn't looking forward to having to turn down Clifton's offer.

"Yeah, I'm gonna hafta pee soon. There goes the seal!"

The door opened then. Norman and Sean came back outside to join them. Leaning against the balcony, Sean handed Casey a cup.

"Here you go. She forgot this inside."

She took the loopy juice and smiled. "Thanks. She was just telling me all about the shots."

The boys laughed. "Oh yeah, your girl's a beast!" Sean joked.

"Hey! It wasn't my fault!" Elaine pointed at Sean and narrowed her eyes.

Sean put one hand up innocently. "I poured three shots. There were three of us. That's pretty fuckin' obvious."

"You never said you were gonna have a shot. What was I s’posed to think?"

"I don't know, but I like the way you party."

They all laughed, but Casey was internally assessing Elaine's physical and mental state. The slurring had become more pronounced and she was swaying a little in the chair. She didn’t normally drink whiskey. If she kept it up, she wouldn't last much longer. Should she cut her off now? Should she take her back to their hotel now?

Before she could decide on a course of action, Norman and Sean did it for her.

"You're pretty wasted. I dunno if you should take a chance riding in a cab back to your hotel tonight," said Norman. Casey glanced over at him. What did he just say? she thought.

"Oh pff, I'm fine." Elaine dismissed his comment with an exaggerated wave.

"For now. The night's not over yet."

"Well I'm not gonna walk all the way back there, so I'll have to chance the cab."

"Or you could stay here," said Sean. His comment was met with silence from both girls.

"Hang on a minute," said Elaine as she shifted forward in her chair. "You're saying I should stay here, like in your room?"

"If you're not uncomfortable with that. I'd feel like a shit if something happened after you drank all my Jack."

"Hey!" she protested. "You know what? You really are a shit. I didn't drink all..." Elaine started to stand, ready to go up against Sean in another debate, but her legs didn't quite cooperate. Norman was closest to her and lunged forward, steadying her on her feet.

Just then, the door opened and Clifton stepped out in time to see Norman catch Elaine.

"Whoa," he said, coming up to stand beside Casey's chair. "What'd I miss?"

"You missed Elaine not being drunk and not almost faceplanting the floor," laughed Norman.

"Oh my god, you guys! I'm not drunk!"

Sean was snickering. "Whatever you say, darlin'. But you're still staying here tonight."

"Oh yeah?" Now feeling stubborn, Elaine tried her best to look snarky, but her unsteady sway had Casey suppressing a laugh. "And who's gonna go back to my hotel to get my stuff for the morning?"

"I can go," Clifton offered, "That way Casey can stay with you. But I'll need your room key."

"You can't go. You don't know what's mine and what's Casey's."

"That's true." He looked down at Casey. "I guess you gotta go."

"No way," Elaine said, shaking her head and sinking a little more into her chair. "I'm not makin’ her go all the way back there and come all the way back here with all my stuff, just for her to have to go all the way back there again. And I'm not leaving her alone. This is stupid."

Casey laughed. "Right, because I'm the one we should be concerned about."

"Then I guess you're both staying here tonight," said Sean. "There. All settled."

It took all of Casey's concentration to repress her smile. Sean and Clifton hadn't looked at each other since Clifton had come back, and she'd noticed it. She'd also noticed that Norman hadn't reacted at all when Sean first suggested that Elaine stay the night, and neither had Clifton. Clifton talked to them, she thought. They're helping him out. Is this part of the Bro Code? If it was, she was happy for it.

Elaine looked over at Casey. "Dude, c’mon. Back me up here."

Casey shrugged. "I don't know. You are drunk. I think Sean's right, it's safer to stay. Unless you stop drinking and we leave right now."

When her comment was met with a blank stare from Elaine, she continued. "Or you can keep drinking and we can stay here and not worry about it."

"You traitor! B’sides, we already paid for our room!"

Casey laughed. "It was dirt cheap, and we split it in half anyway. I don't care. And honestly, I think I'd rather be here. I'm having fun."

"Oh my god you guys," said Sean, doing an exaggerated flamboyant and feminine accent. "This is, like, the most fun ever! You just have to stay. There's no party without you!" he whined.

Clifton and Norman laughed. "Man, you do that way too well," said Norman.

Going back to his normal voice, Sean said "Look, you can sleep on the bed. I'll take the couch. It's no problem. Were you guys going back to the con tomorrow? We can all go together."

"But..." Elaine trailed off.

Casey leaned over and whispered something to Elaine before straightening in her chair again. Elaine was silent and pensive for a moment. "Well, shit," she said.

Casey smiled. "So we're staying here?"

Elaine beamed and raised her cup. "Hell, yeah!" she shouted, and everyone laughed.

 

Thirty minutes later, Casey and Clifton were arriving at the girls' hotel in a cab. Casey was going to pack the bags to bring to Sean's room, and Clifton had gone along to help her carry them.

"Can we stop for some food on the way back?" asked Casey as they walked into the hotel. "Elaine should probably eat something."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Clifton agreed. "I'm glad she agreed to stay. What did you say to her to change her mind all of a sudden like that?"

She smiled. "I said, Never mind how much you have or haven't had to drink. A fucking celebrity invited you up to his room to party, then he invited you to stay the night. Why are you arguing?"

Clifton laughed. "That's hilarious! I'm glad you were able to change her mind."

"It was really nice of Sean to offer."

"He's a good guy."

Arriving at the elevators, Casey pushed the call button and the doors opened right away. They walked in and she pushed the button for the third floor. As the doors closed, she felt his presence close behind her. His hands slid up her arms. She closed her eyes and leaned back against him.

"I have to ask," she said softy, "did you have anything to do with Sean's offer?"

Clifton snickered. "Yes and no. He was thinking of offering anyway, and I told him I thought it was a good idea."

"Very clever."

"Not really. He knows me pretty well." He leaned forward and nuzzled behind her ear. "He could tell I wanted to be alone with you."

She felt his breath hot down her neck and shivers chased through her body. Almost instantly, her nipples were erect. She closed her eyes and tilted her head, exposing her sensitive skin to his mouth. He trailed his nose up her neck and licked her earlobe, making her moan softly, but the doors opened again before he could go any further.

Reluctantly, she stepped away from him to leave the elevator, but he stayed close behind her. She led the way to the room, his hands massaging her shoulders as they walked down the hallway. By the time they got to her door, she was almost trembling with anticipation. She swiped the key card, the light turned green and she shoved the door open. They were on each other before it even had time to swing shut behind them.

She stepped in just far enough to give him room to come in past the door, turned on the light switch for the desk lamp, tossed her purse on the desk and spun around. He followed her in and walked straight to her. His arms went around her as soon as they were face to face. She threw her arms around his shoulders and their lips met with urgency as the door swung shut.

Their tongues met and he took the lead, ravaging her mouth. She melted into him, tasting whiskey on his breath. They kissed without abandon, moaning and panting eagerly. He gripped her tightly and turned her back to the wall. When he pushed her up against it and crushed his body against hers, she gasped. He pulled away.

Clifton caressed her cheek and looked at her, concerned. "You ok?" he breathed. "Was that too rough?"

"I'm ok, just wasn't expecting it." She smiled, tilting her chin up. "Come back here."

He smiled back and leaned in. He placed slow, wet kisses along her jaw, changing the pace. She closed her eyes and parted her lips, letting out a heavy breath. As he kissed his way along her jaw and then down her neck, her breaths became more and more shallow. She let her head fall to the side and moaned.

Her moan sent a shiver through him. He pressed his body against her, and the firm bulge he'd acquired nudged her belly. Feeling it, and knowing this time he wanted her to feel it, a wave of goosebumps washed over her, ending with a longing throb between her legs. She grabbed his waist roughly, thrusting her hips into him. She lifted one leg and wrapped her heel around his knee, dragging it up the back of his thigh. Clifton reached down and hooked his hand behind the knee, bringing it up higher. Taking the hint, she hooked her leg around his hip. He slid his hand up her thigh and around to her ass. Getting a sturdy grip on his shoulders, she leaned against the wall and lifted her other leg. He got a grip under her thighs and hoisted her up, holding her against the wall.

He gave a slow, firm grind, rubbing himself against her center and eliciting a sharp gasp from her as she felt her wetness spreading. Her eyes closed and her mouth fell open as she drew a loud breath. He grunted in response and kept grinding. They held onto each other tightly.

"I don't have any condoms, but I'm on the pill," she breathed.

"Ok." He nodded and kissed her. She kissed him back, but they were both too wound up and the kiss was sloppy.

He broke the kiss and let out a slow, controlled breath as the friction of the grinding continued to stimulate and tease him. "Fuck", he murmured.

That was what broke her. Any sense of self-control was abandoned.

"Yes please," she whispered in his ear.

And that was what broke him.

He lifted her away from the wall and walked briskly to the bed with her legs wrapped around his body. He got on his knees on the bed and laid her down, lowering his body over hers. He propped himself up on his elbows and kissed her again. She pulled her knees up. As she did, the front of her skirt pooled onto her belly.

Clifton zeroed in on her exposed panties. Still kissing her, he laid his hand flat and massaged her through the fabric with his fingers. When he felt how easily the panties slid against her, he began fingering the elastic edges. He nuzzled her neck so he could whisper in her ear.

"You ready already?"

"Mmm," Casey replied. "Just move them over."

Without hesitation, Clifton hooked a finger and pulled her panties to one side, exploring her folds. When he felt her bald and wet, he inhaled sharply.

"Jesus Christ, Casey," he exhaled.

"Please," Casey moaned. "I want you."

Eyes wild with lust, Clifton grabbed at his belt. He unbuckled it nimbly and then tore his jeans open. Pushing his jockeys down, he freed himself and pressed his rigid length against her lips, slicking up his shaft. She was hot, and her shaved lips were flushed and engorged.

Unable to stand it any longer, he pulled his hips back. His tip found her entrance. He pressed forward, breaching her. He slid inside her and bottomed out on the first thrust.

He was large. As he slid inside her quickly and easily, she let out a long, sharp gasp and grabbed handfuls of his shirt. He squeezed his eyes shut tight, grinding himself against her slowly, trying to keep control. "Shit, you're tight," he said through clenched teeth.

She was writhing under him. "Please," she moaned desperately. "Please."

"I'm not gonna last," he apologized.

"Please, just fuck me!"

He didn't need to be told again. He braced himself and pounded into her, slamming her into the mattress. She began breathing deeply and loudly. Each thrust hit her sweet spot, and she could feel her body immediately tense up. She wasn't going to last, either.

"Oh my god," she squeaked between breaths, "yes... there... oh... oh..."

Her body began to tremble. Her thighs spread wide and her toes curled. She was ready to come, and when it hit her, it bowled her over.

Her hips shot up to meet his. Her mouth hung open and her breathing became shallow, sharp and loud. Her eyes closed. She heard nothing, saw nothing. She only felt. She felt his cock filling her, hitting her sweet spot over and over again. A wave of indescribable pleasure erupted, only to be intensified every time he thrust into her. As her mouth hung open, her shallow breaths became wails, and uncontrollable tears of pleasure streaked down the sides of her face.

He knew the moment her orgasm hit her. He felt her pussy contract around him, getting impossibly tighter, and he couldn't hold out any longer. Growling, he gave himself over to his own pleasure. Not breaking his rhythm, he used the bounce-back of the mattress to his advantage, pounding into her almost violently. When his cock began to shoot, tendons stood out in his neck as his growls turned into roars.

They rode out their ecstasies in tandem. It was rough, loud, and desperate. It finally began to subside and they came down from it together. Panting, they laid together with Clifton still over and inside her.

Clifton found his voice first. He spoke slowly. "I can't... I don't... even know... how to describe that."

Her breath hitching, Casey replied "Me either."

He turned to her, intending to kiss her, and saw her tears. Panicking, he snapped out of his daze. He quickly pulled out and rolled off of her. He pulled her close and held her.

"Hey, hey, are you ok?" he asked with concern. "Did I hurt you?"

She cuddled into him, entwining their legs as she caught her breath. "No. It's just... it's been a while since the last time I... and... there was a lot of buildup today... I just wasn't expecting it to be so... intense..." She stammered as she held him reassuringly.

"Oh, ok," he said, relieved, and began rambling. "I mean, yeah, there was definitely buildup… I know I got a bit rough, but you seemed... responsive... like, a good responsive... so I kept going---"

Chuckling, Casey cut him off with a kiss, which he was happy to return. They kissed and caressed each other lazily for a few moments, the only sounds in the room coming from their kissing.

When their lips parted, Clifton said "I really hate to cut this short, but we gotta get back."

"Yeah, I know." Borrowing a phrase, she grinned. "To be continued?"

He smiled. "Damn right."

Looking down at their bodies, Casey snickered. "At least we're still dressed. That'll save some time."

Laughing, Clifton pulled away from her to tuck himself back into his jeans. He stood up and held out his hand to help her off the bed.


	6. Finally Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After relieving some tension, Casey and Clifton go back to the hotel to take care of Elaine before retiring for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. It's been a crazy few months. I hope you enjoy.

When they got back to Sean's room, the trio was back inside the room. There was music playing from someone's cell phone. Elaine was swaying while Sean and Norman were chuckling. 

"Wow, you're still standing!" laughed Casey. 

Norman looked over at Casey. "She's not gonna last much longer," he said. "She almost passed out when she sat down, so she got up and demanded music." 

“What’s this?” asked Sean, taking a bag from Clifton’s hand. 

“We stopped to get Elaine something to eat,” Clifton replied. 

"No food! Come, come and dance with me!" Elaine stumbled over to Casey, grasping for her. Casey reached out before Elaine could fall. 

"I don't know if that's considered dancing," she laughed. She led Elaine over to the bed and sat her down before lifting up the suitcase she was lugging onto the bed beside her. She rummaged through it and handed Elaine her pajamas. 

"Come on, it's better you put them on now. I'll put mine on too." 

“I don’t wanna,” Elaine slurred, clumsily waving at Casey. “It’s too early.”

Casey crossed her arms. “You’ll be more comfortable dancing,” she said. 

Elaine contemplated this point as she stared through Casey’s head. She stared long enough for Casey to be able to pull her up and lead her towards the bathroom with Elaine’s arm draped around her shoulders. 

“Sorry guys, this might take a while,” she said over her shoulder. 

“No problem,” she heard Clifton reply. “I’m gonna go finally have that smoke.” 

Casey and Elaine disappeared into the bathroom. Casey locked the door. Before helping Elaine sit down, she helped her undress. While Elaine was undressed, Casey sat her on the toilet to pee while Casey herself got changed. She then tore some toilet paper off and put it in Elaine’s hand. 

“I’ll help you pee, but I won’t help you clean up. Here.” 

Elaine gazed up at Casey. “Yeah,” she laughed. 

Casey helped Elaine wash her hands and get dressed. After what felt like an eternity, they emerged from the bathroom in fleece pants with tank tops. Casey brought Elaine back to the bed where the blankets had already been turned down. She got Elaine lying down on her stomach. Elaine mumbled incoherently, then closed her eyes. She was asleep in minutes. 

"She's fun," said Norman, finishing off the last of his whiskey. "Will she be ok in the morning?" 

"Oh yeah," said Casey. "She's partied way harder than this. She won't even puke." 

"If she does, you're cleaning it up," Sean smirked, pointing at her. 

"You mean, we?" 

“I didn't make her drink." 

"No one did, but the party was your idea." 

"And you brought extra vodka." 

"I made loopy juice. You gave her straight shots of whiskey." 

Clifton, who had long since come back inside from the balcony, shook his head, snickering. "Fucking children." 

"What?" Casey asked innocently. "I'm just saying, I'm not hypothetically cleaning up hypothetical puke by myself." 

Norman raised his eyebrows and glanced over at Sean. "Hey, there's a line for your next book." 

Sean was already laughing. He walked to Casey and gave her a hug. "I really do like you." 

"Somehow I feel like you're just using me for my wit." She stepped over to Clifton, who smiled down at her. 

"Hey, I need somebody to keep up with me." Sean rolled his eyes at Norman and Clifton, who laughed. 

"On that note, I'm done for the night," said Norman. "We still meeting for breakfast?" 

"Ten o'clock downstairs." Sean nodded at Norman, then looked at Clifton questioningly. 

"Ten o'clock," agreed Clifton. "Five people instead of three." 

"All right, well I'm kickin' y'all out so I can get my beauty sleep." 

Casey snickered. "Yeah, you're starting to look a little worse for wear." She ran out of the room before Sean could catch her while Norman and Clifton laughed again. 

Five minutes later, everyone had left Sean's room. Norman bid them a good night as the elevator doors closed behind him, bringing Clifton and Casey up two more floors. Clifton, who’d offered to drag Casey’s suitcase, stood the bag up in the hallway so he could unlock the door to his room. He moved aside, holding it open for Casey. He grabbed the suitcase and followed her in. Smiling to himself, he put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the handle before letting the door close behind him. 

Casey’s eyes scanned the room. It was about the same size as hers was but had only one bed, so it looked bigger. She set her purse on the table and Clifton left her bag on the floor beside his. Once his arms were free he went to her, putting his hands on her arms and squeezing gently. 

She looked up at him and met his eyes. They didn't need to speak. She reached out and put her arms around his waist. Closing the gap between them, she went up on her toes and craned her neck. He slid one hand into her hair, cradling her head, and met her lips with his.

Now that they were alone for the night and had already relieved some tension, they took their time. Clifton's lips were soft against hers and his tongue explored her mouth sweetly. He had the most sensual mouth she'd ever experienced. The sounds of their kisses filled the quiet room. She followed his lead, giving him full control over her. She opened her mouth to his and allowed his hands to roam wherever they wanted, craning and arching her body for him. She held him closely, moaning softly into him. 

With one last greedy kiss, he pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. "I don't think I've ever said this to anyone before, but the way you moan is fuckin' sexy," he said. 

Casey giggled shyly, surprised. "Oh. Well, no one's ever said that to me before, so I guess it's a first for both of us." 

He started kissing her forehead and followed the contours of her face. "It's your voice,” he mumbled in between kisses. “Even when you're just talking. Every sound you make is sexy." 

She chuckled and murmured "Hmm, you're sweet." 

He inhaled her scent deeply through his nose and growled "So. Fucking. Sexy," kissing along her throat to emphasize each word. 

She went glassy-eyed as he left a trail of wet kisses along her shoulder, drawing out wetness between her legs as well. When he reached the tip of her shoulder, he turned to face her again. He exhaled heavily. 

"I want to have a shower before I get too carried away." 

Casey nodded. "Ok. I should have one too." 

He met her eyes and reached down to fiddle with the hem of her tank top. "Well, then. Maybe we can conserve some water." 

She smiled and stepped back. Once she was just beyond arm's reach, she hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her pants and pushed them down over her hips. They fell to her feet. She stepped out and kicked them away, then turned and walked into the bathroom in her tank top and panties without looking over her shoulder, smiling to herself and wishing she could see his face. 

She flicked on the light and walked over to the shower, turning on the water. She put her hand under the stream, testing the temperature. When she turned her head, Clifton was in the doorway leaning on the doorframe. 

"How hot do you like it?" she asked. 

He pushed off the doorframe, looking her up and down. "I'd rather show you than tell you," he said as he stepped over to her. 

She laughed as she put her arms around him. "I meant the water." 

"Mm-hmm," he mumbled into her neck as he nuzzled her. His hands slid up and down her back, then down to her hips. 

She arched into his caress. When his hands went to her hips, she slid her hands up his arms and into his sleeves. She squeezed his biceps and he squeezed her hips, flexing his arms for her. 

"Can I take your shirt off?" she whispered. 

He stepped back and smiled with a nod. She looked him in the eye as she lifted his shirt up. He raised his arms and leaned forward slightly so she could slide it up and off easily. She tossed it aside and immediately put her hands on his chest. His body wasn't bulky with muscle but he was fit, and she took a quick moment to admire it. She slid her hands down his chest and stomach, pausing briefly in the trail of hair under his navel before landing them on his belt buckle. Her eyes flicked up to his. 

"You do this," she said, and she took a step back. "I want to watch." 

He smiled. "You like to watch?" 

She smiled back. "I like to watch a man undress himself. Especially the belt. It's sexy." 

He casually unbuckled his belt and opened his jeans, never looking away from her. As he lowered the zipper, she asked herself how such a simple, mundane task could be so fucking erotic. He pushed his jeans down and kicked them over to where she'd tossed his shirt. Seeing him standing there in his jockeys with his erection bulging through the fabric, Casey couldn't remember if she'd ever been so turned on from a view. 

"Your turn," he said as he stepped to her. "Arms up." 

She raised her arms over her head and he slipped her tank top off, exposing her breasts. He puffed out a slow breath and she watched him stare, remembering that he hadn't seen them yet. They were large enough to be more than a handful and hadn't lost too much of their perkiness, even after pregnancy and breastfeeding. What she was most grateful for was that they were still round, and the pregnancy had made them more sensitive. 

He wanted to touch them, she could tell. She half-covered them coyly. "Not yet. You can wash them for me." 

He walked up to her and grabbed her hips, pulling her to him and pressing his erection against her. He cupped her ass over her panties. 

"I'm gonna wash your everything." 

She put her arms around his waist and planted kisses across his chest. Her hands slid down his back and she began fingering the waistband of his jockeys. "Do it," he murmured in her ear. Hooking her thumbs in the back, she pushed the fabric down over his ass. She gave it a squeeze before running her thumbs around to the front. She gently pulled the elastic outward until she felt something hot and rigid softly fall against her belly. She pushed the jockeys down and they slid to the floor. 

Before her hands could explore, he was devouring her neck and pushing her panties to the floor as well. Now completely naked, she leaned into him, feeling all of his skin against all of hers. His body heat radiated through her. She was just barely able to reel herself back in when she realized her mind was getting away from her. 

"Shower," she mumbled. 

He slowed his kissing down to a stop and swept a lock of hair away from her face. "Yeah, let's go," he said. 

In the shower, Clifton kept his promises. He washed himself while she washed her hair first, admiring the suds as they ran down her body. Then, standing behind her, he washed her shoulders and arms, planning on working his way down. At her breasts, he stopped to explore their shape and size. He massaged them with soap slowly and gently toyed with her nipples while he nuzzled her neck. Casey reached back and held his hips for balance. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to give him full access, sighing deeply when she felt his teeth nip at her. 

His hands left her breasts and continued to work their way down. He took his time washing everywhere, acquainting himself with her whole body. He explored the barbell piercing in her navel and the curve of her hips before stepping back to do her backside, learning the arch of her back and the swell of her ass. 

Crouching down, he gave her ass a squeeze before moving to her legs. He worked up a lather and started at her upper thigh. He ran his hands all the way down to her ankles, appreciating the shape and muscle tone. Her legs were strong. 

Once both legs were done, he stood up and wrapped his arms around her chest from behind, nuzzling her neck again. She leaned against him and crossed her arms over his, then spoke softly to him. "You missed a spot." 

He chuckled. "No, I didn't," he replied. "I was saving that for last." Keeping his left arm around her, he slid his right hand over her breast, her stomach, and her belly. Finally, it slid over her hot center and cupped it. As he rubbed her lips tenderly with his hand, Casey’s eyes closed and her breath caught in her throat. 

"There you go," he murmured. "All clean." 

She let her head fall back against his shoulder. "Please," she whispered. She spread her feet apart, giving his hand better access. 

Taking the hint, he curled his middle finger, running it down her slit. He pressed gently before coming up again, sliding it in between her lips. As he slid over her opening, her wetness coated him. He groaned into her neck. He continued his way up, spreading it all through her folds. She gasped as he spread it over her sensitive clit. He felt her knees buckle for a moment and clenched his arm tighter around her to support her. 

"Please," she repeated. "I want you." 

Keeping his grip around her, he reached back and turned off the water. "You good to stand?" he asked. 

"Uh-huh," she breathed. 

As soon as he let go of her, she turned around and attacked him with a kiss. She kissed him deeply, diving her tongue into his mouth as much as he would allow. He kissed her back for a few seconds before pulling away. 

He looked at her, fighting with himself for a moment. "No,” he finally decided. “Not here." 

He stepped out of the tub, not caring that he was dripping wet. He held her hand as she stepped out, and together they went to the bedroom. 

Before he could act, Casey got behind him. He turned around, wondering what she was doing. Once he was facing her, she put her hands on his arms and pushed, forcing him to back up. He smiled, but allowed her to take the lead. He slowly walked backwards toward the bed. 

"You got something in mind?" he asked. 

"I told you," she answered. "I want you." 

"So what are you gonna do?" 

"I'm gonna take you." 

When they reached the bed, Clifton sat down. Casey pushed his knees apart and stepped between them, closing the space between their bodies. She kissed his lips briefly, then whispered in his ear "Sit up against the headboard." 

Curious and excited, Clifton pushed himself to the middle of the bed and leaned back, resting his shoulders against the headboard with the pillows supporting his back. He watched Casey as she crawled after him, admiring the way her body moved. 

She crawled up to his face and kissed his ear, rubbing one hand on his chest. He closed his eyes. "You're mine this time," she whispered, and then she was gone. 

He opened his eyes again. She was still between his legs, sitting back on her heels. He watched her as she slowly stood upon the bed. As she towered over him, he took in the new view of her body. She was still wet from the shower and water was dripping down from her hair. He licked his lips and swallowed loudly. 

She shifted her weight and carefully stepped over him, her feet straddling his hips. He reached out and slid his hands up and down her calves. 

"Hold yourself up for me," she said as she ran her hands up and down her body. 

She watched as he anxiously took himself by the base and held it upright. She bent at the waist and put her hands on his chest, then bent her knees and slowly began to lower her hips. 

She kept her knees wide apart so Clifton could see everything. He saw the muscles in her legs flex, he saw her thighs spread open, and he saw her pussy getting closer and closer to his throbbing cock. She reached forward to grip the headboard for extra balance and he saw her breasts right above his face, her nipples hard and begging for attention, water beading and dripping from them into his beard. 

When their bodies made contact, they moaned together. Her wet lips kissed the tip of his cock, and it was her turn to throb. She rolled her hips, using his tip to spread her wetness around, and he groaned loudly. They were both panting with anticipation, and Casey was ready. 

"I'm gonna fuck you now," she breathed. 

He watched as she slowly lowered herself onto him. He watched as her lips kissed his head again, as they slowly parted around it, as they swallowed him. He watched himself disappear inside her. He watched as her eyes closed, as her head fell back, as her mouth hung open, as she rolled her hips to grind against him. 

 

And he felt. He felt her hot, wet walls taking him in deep. He felt her stretch to accommodate his size. He felt her tightness, and he felt her muscles clenching around him. 

She rolled her head forward again and looked at Clifton. His jaw was slack and he was controlling his breathing. His eyes were wild with lust. When they came up to meet hers, she made sure her feet were still firmly planted on the mattress and began to fuck him. 

"Oh, fuck," Clifton moaned. 

Her legs flexed as she lifted and lowered herself. The first few were slow, but she quickly built up her speed. Moaning, she arched her back. When she found the spot she was looking for, she held on to the headboard and began to pound on him. 

Moaning, Clifton watched her with desire and fascination as she closed her eyes and let her hunger take over. She was slamming herself down on him, taking it all in each time. As he had done earlier, she was using the bounce of the mattress to pound him into her as hard as she could. Her body glistened with water droplets, and every time she slammed down onto him, water dripped from her wet hair onto his body. Her knees were spread wide so she could keep her balance and he had a perfect view of her: her bouncing breasts, her soft stomach, her swollen pussy and his cock sliding in and out of it. He'd never been fucked that way before, and he loved it. He grabbed a fistful of the comforter in each hand and held on tight, relinquishing complete control. 

Casey rode him as hard as she could. He filled her up and stretched her out so good, she couldn't get enough. She didn't hold anything back, crying out and cursing and screaming his name over and over again. He cried out with her, her sounds inflating the ball of lust inside him. 

"F-fuck," he stuttered breathlessly through clenched teeth. "Fuck... fuck, Casey... can't... h-hold anymore..." 

"Clifton..." Her squeaks built up into wails. "I... oh... oh... yes... yes... yes!" 

She felt her nipples begin to tingle, and her pussy squeezed Clifton's cock. Then she came. A tsunami of pleasure washed through her body. Her shoulders hunched forward and she curled into a ball, gripping the headboard tightly. She bounced fervently to take every ounce of pleasure she could. 

When he saw and felt her orgasm begin to take her, he let go and came with her. Not bothering to let go of the sheets, he planted his fists and feet firmly on the bed. He began snapping his hips up, needing to move with her to ride it out. His knuckles were white and his veins were popping. Tendons stood out from his neck. His eyes were closed and his teeth were bared. As he came, he growled with every shot. 

Together, they slowly came down from their highs. Casey's head hung down and Clifton's fell back against the headboard. They both panted heavily as their bodies began to relax. 

Casey let go of the headboard and put her hands on his shoulders for support. He let go of the comforter and stretched his fingers, chuckling. 

Casey looked up at him. "What?" she breathed. 

"Just my hands," he replied. "They're stiff from holding the sheets so tight." 

"Oh. Are they ok?" 

"Oh yeah. Just needed to stretch 'em out a bit." He ran his hands from her ankles to her knees. "How are your legs?" he asked. 

"Ok. The mattress was a big help," she joked as she folded her legs back under her to straddle him on her knees. 

Once she was settled, he put his arms on her waist. "Lie down," he said softly. She leaned forward and nuzzled his neck, and he reached around to caress her back. 

They didn't speak for a while. They laid together in a comfortable silence, their cores separating as Clifton's body relaxed. He kept his arms around her, savoring the softness and warmth of her skin. 

"I might fall asleep like this," he murmured. 

"Hmm," Casey chuckled. "Me, too. You're cozy." 

"Cozy? I've never been called that before." 

"Well, I'm honored to have been your first." 

Clifton laughed. He slid his fingers into her hair and kissed the side of her forehead. "C'mon, let's get under the sheets and do this properly." 

She slowly pulled away from him as he rolled them both over. He got off the bed and did the rounds, turning off the lights and checking his alarm while she slid under the sheets. He went back to bed and pulled her close. She laid her head on his chest, draped her leg over his and wrapped her arm around his body. He pulled the sheets and comforter up, covering her shoulders. 

"What time is the alarm set for?" she asked. 

"Nine," he answered. "That enough time for you?" 

"Mm-hmm. Unless we get distracted." 

He smiled. "Maybe I should've set it for 8:30." 

She smiled in return against a yawn. "Better get snoring then." 

He held her until she fell asleep and then fell asleep himself.


	7. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an unexpected and amazing night, they go back to the con. Casey and Clifton come to an agreement.

"Hey, good morning," said Sean as Clifton and Casey approached the table. 

"What's up, dude?" Casey replied. 

"Morning." Clifton glanced around. "Where's Elaine? She ok?" 

Sean smirked. "Yeah yeah, she's good. Just a little slow. She was about to have a shower when I came down five minutes ago." 

"She'll be here soon then," said Casey. "She's a hangover ninja. She didn't throw up either, did she?" 

"No, she did not," he confirmed. "She's a trooper." 

Clifton pulled out a chair across the table from Sean and gestured to Casey. She smiled at him and sat. He pushed the chair in for her and sat beside her. Sean observed Clifton's gesture and smiled to himself. 

"Any word from Reedenstein?" he asked. 

"Nope," Clifton answered. "He'll be here at some point." 

"Yeah, let's see who gets here first, him or Elaine." 

"I think Norman's gonna lose that race," said Casey, looking at her phone. "Elaine texted me, she's on her way down." 

A few minutes later, Elaine was taking the chair beside Sean. She wrapped one arm around him in a side hug. 

"Thanks for the hospitality," she said. "Sorry I hogged the bed." 

"Bah, no worries. You look pretty damn good considering how wasted you were last night." 

"I look pretty damn good all the time." 

"Here we go again," Casey laughed. 

Norman arrived a fashionable 15 minutes late. They chatted and joked about the night before, with Sean and Elaine bickering playfully. They ate breakfast, and though she did order a small amount, Elaine mostly stuck to coffee. By the end of the meal, they'd all become friends. 

"So what's your con schedule today?" asked Elaine. 

"Gotta be at the autograph table from 11:00 to noon, then photo ops until one," replied Norman. "Then I've got the Walking Dead panel from 1:30 to 2:30, then back to the table until four. " 

"Same thing for us, minus the panel," said Sean. "We'll be at our tables for two hours instead of one and a half for the afternoon instead. Then we’re done.”

"Come meet us on our break at one," said Norman. "We can hang for a bit." 

"Cool," said Elaine. "We have full days too. At 11:00 we'll be wandering around the celebrity tables laughing at all the giddy fangirls, then at noon we'll be in the corridors checking out all the costumes, then at two we'll be checking out the merch vendors." 

Sean flicked imaginary tresses of hair over his shoulder. "Oh my god, girlfriend, you are going to be. So. Exhausted." 

Clifton laughed. "That voice is never not funny, man." 

Casey looked at the time. "You guys are probably going to be late for the morning autographs if you don't get going." 

"Nah, we'll make it just in time." Norman wiped his hands on his napkin and gestured to the waitress for the bill. 

"We should go back to the con separately," said Sean. He glanced at Clifton, and Clifton nodded. 

He looked over at Casey. "Yeah, it'd be better for you girls," he agreed. 

Casey nodded. "Yeah, ok." 

The waitress arrived with the bill. The girls offered to pay for themselves, but Norman insisted on paying for everyone. After a short debate, the girls thanked him. He paid the bill and they all headed outside. 

Clifton let everyone go ahead. He held Casey back with him and they followed behind slowly. 

"We’re not trying to brush you off,” he said quietly. “It's just safer for you to not be seen with us." 

"I know," she smiled. "It's ok, we understand." 

"I'll text you. We can meet up later." 

She nodded. "Ok." 

She felt a gentle tug on her hand. Smiling to herself, she opened it. Fingers slid in between hers. They gave her a squeeze, then let go as they walked out the door. 

Casey and Elaine hung back to wait for the next cab while the boys took the first one to the con. Sean and Elaine bickered over who should go first, but Elaine wasn't budging. 

"Dude, you guys have obligations. We don't. People are waiting for you. Get in the damn car and go!" she said, and Sean finally stopped arguing. 

As the boys drove away, Elaine turned to Casey. "So? Spill it." 

Casey huffed a nervous chuckle. "Come on, Elaine," she pleaded. 

"No way, dude. You spent the night in Clifton's room. Tell me what happened!" 

Casey looked at her feet and remained silent, but Elaine would have none of it. "Casey, you listen to me. The only reason any of last night happened in the first place is because I gave Clifton your phone number. You fucking owe me, starting with full disclosure on what went on in that room!" 

Casey laughed. "Jesus Christ, Elaine. What do you want to know?" 

"Everything! Let's start with this: did you have sex with him?" 

They looked at each other in silence for a moment before Casey dropped her gaze and sighed. Elaine smiled. "Yes! Good for you, girl!" she said. 

"Ok, ok, that's enough," Casey mumbled, looking at her feet. 

"Enough? No way. I want details! What's he like? What kinds of things does he like? Is he kinky? Does he like different positions? Does he have a favorite position? Was there foreplay? How big is he?" 

Casey's eyes shot to Elaine at the last question. "Dude, come on." 

"What? What's with the secrecy? We always talk about this shit. And this is some big celebrity shit!" 

"Yeah, I know..." 

"So spill it!" 

As their taxi pulled up, Casey silently thanked the driver for his timing, but it didn't last long. The second the door closed behind them when they got out at the con, Elaine was on her again. 

"Ok, you had a break. Now talk." 

Casey sighed again. "I don't want to." 

Elaine took Casey's arm and stopped walking. She stared hard at Casey. 

"We always trade escapade stories. What's going on? You're acting weird." 

Casey remained silent. 

"Casey, you just spent the night with a celebrity! You fucked a fucking celebrity!" 

Casey finally looked at her, pleading. "I know. Can we leave it at that?" 

Elaine let go of Casey and crossed her arms. "Tell me why." 

"Huh?" 

"Tell me why you don't want to talk about this." 

"I just... don't want to." 

"Do you not trust me to keep the details to myself? Do you think I'm going to go try to sell a story to a reporter?" 

"No!" 

"What, then?" 

"I just..." She took a deep, slow breath. "It's just different this time." 

"Why? Because he’s famous?” 

“No! It’s…” Casey trailed off. She crossed her arms and looked away. 

And with that, it all made sense. Elaine's eyes opened wide and her hand went to cover her mouth. "Oh no," she said. "No way. No way, dude. You can NOT get carried away with this guy." 

"I'm not getting carried away. It was one night." 

"And you know that's all it will be, right?" 

"Yes, I know!" Casey exclaimed, her frustration seeping through. “And it kinda sucks! I don’t want to talk about it right now.” 

Elaine saw the pained look in Casey's eyes. She sighed, giving her a hug. "Aw, hun. I know how bad you've been crushing on him. Maybe hooking up was a bad idea." 

Casey hugged her back, struggling with her emotions. "Maybe," she whispered. "It was a really good night, though." 

"Maybe after a while you'll tell me about it?" 

Casey laughed, and a tear escaped. She pulled away from Elaine and wiped it away. "Yeah, maybe. Let me just get a hold of myself first." 

"Are you sure you want to see him again later? Maybe it would be better for you to avoid him." 

"Yeah, it will be ok. We'll be with all of them, not just him, and it will be in a public setting." 

"Ok, if you're sure." 

"Yeah. A platonic night will be good for my head, anyway." 

With that, they went back to the con and immersed themselves in the spirit of fandoms and geekness. 

*-*-*-*

"Just keep your head, dude," warned Norman. 

"I know, I know," Clifton nodded. 

"You don't want to lead her on, either." 

"I know. Mom." 

"What is it about her?" asked Sean. "You don't hook up with fans. And you let her spend the... no, you wanted her to spend the night." 

Clifton shook his head. "I don't know, man. There's just something about her. I felt it when I saw her dancing with that kid, and I knew it when we looked at each other." 

"Such a romantic. All right, man. Just be careful. They're cool girls, but she lives in fuckin’ Canada. Friendship is possible, but more than that..." 

"Yeah, man. I know." 

Sean slapped him affectionately on the back and the three men stepped out to begin meeting fans and posing for photos. 

*-*-*-*

At 12:50, Casey's phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket and smiled at the message. 

"Clifton says to meet in fifteen minutes. Same place as yesterday." 

"The autograph table?" 

"I guess so." Her phone buzzed again. "And he wants to know if we want lunch from Subway. Someone's making a run for them." 

"That sounds convenient. I'm down." 

Casey gave Clifton their lunch orders and told him they'd see him soon. Twenty-five minutes later, Clifton peered through the curtain at their meeting spot. 

"Hey!" he whispered. "I'm sorry we kept you waiting, a few ops kinda dragged on." 

The girls snuck through the curtain quickly. "It's ok," said Elaine. "We figured you probably had to fight a bunch of horny girls off." 

He laughed. "Yeah, that’s it. Had to beat 'em off with a stick." 

He gave Casey a side smile and led them back to the same room they met in the day before. Their lunches were there waiting for them. As they ate, they enjoyed the down time together. Elaine didn’t eat too much, but she made an effort. Norman told them about a few odd requests for poses from fans and Sean told them about a few crazy ones from past events. 

"You're quiet over there," Elaine said to Clifton. 

Clifton took a sip of his drink. "I don't have many stories that can measure up to theirs. The MacManuses were the more desirable ones." 

Casey, who was sitting next to him, tore a piece of bread from her sandwich and threw it at him. "Don't self-hate," she said. 

He smiled and threw the bread back at her. "I'm not self-hating, I'm just telling it like it is." 

"People love Romeo!" 

"Not the same way, but it's ok. I get a lot of quotes thrown at me, though." 

"Ding donnnnng, motherfucker, ding dong!" exclaimed Elaine holding her fingers up like guns and bopping her head energetically in a surprisingly perfect Romeo impression. Everyone laughed. 

“Oh my god, that was fucking fantastic,” exclaimed Sean. Elaine stood up and took a proud bow. 

They finished their food and lounged around for a while. Norman left just before 1:30 for his panel while the rest waited for two o’clock. As they were tidying up after themselves, Clifton turned to Casey. 

"You girls wanna hang out after the con?" he asked. "We're gonna hit up a bar after dinner with a few friends who got here today." 

Casey looked over at Elaine, raising her eyebrows. "Sounds fun to me, but do you wanna go drinking again?" 

"Oh shit," said Clifton. "I forgot." 

"Yeah, I should probably sit this one out if I wanna be in decent shape for the flight home tomorrow," said Elaine. 

"Ok. I'm sorry," said Casey, turning to Clifton. "Try not to have too much fun without us." 

"Will you at least come and eat with us?" 

Reluctantly, Casey shook her head. "Nah, it’s ok. Go hang with your friends. They're probably also celebrities, so I'm sure they'd appreciate not being stuck with a couple of crazy fangirls." 

"Oh please," Clifton said as he rolled his eyes. "You two are a far cry from crazy fangirls." 

She smiled at him. "Still, if Elaine wants to hang back then we'll hang back. You guys go enjoy your night." 

They left the room together. As Sean and Elaine walked ahead, bickering about Elaine's alcohol tolerance, Clifton and Casey followed at a distance. 

"It's too bad you can't come tonight," said Clifton. "I was hoping we could hang out again." 

"Yeah, me too. But she's right, she has to think of the flight tomorrow." 

He smiled and touched her fingers with his. "By "we" I meant the two of us." 

Casey almost stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh. Oh!" she stumbled. "I... I thought that... last night... I mean..." she trailed off. 

"Last night... what?" 

"I..." she hesitated, but she knew she had to answer. She took a breath. "I just didn't think you'd want to do it again." 

"What if I did want to? Would you want to?" 

"I..." Not sure if it was the right thing to do, she decided to be honest. "Yeah. I would." 

"Well, shit." 

She glanced at him. "What?" 

"It just would have sucked a little less if you weren't interested anyway."

She looked at him incredulously. "After last night, what could possibly make you think that I wouldn't be interested?" 

He smirked back. "After last night, what made you think that I wasn't?" 

"Well, you're a celebrity." 

"And?" 

"And... you probably get girls throwing themselves at you all the time." 

He stopped her and turned her to face him. He spoke to her quietly, but sternly. "Hey, that's not fair. You think my standards are so low that I'll take whatever I can get? You think I'm that desperate? That stings." 

She stared back at him, frozen. "I... I'm sorry..." 

"If all I wanted was a fuck, I'd have found a place at the con for us to do it. I wouldn't have spent the whole evening hanging out with you, and I most definitely would not have trusted you to stay in my hotel room while I was sleeping." 

It took her a few seconds to find her voice again. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just figured..." She cut herself off and hung her head, ashamed as she realized she'd put her foot in her mouth. "I shouldn't have assumed." 

Clifton sighed deeply. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I understand why you did. Some celebrities are like that. But I'm not, ok?" 

Casey nodded. 

He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I really was hoping to see you again tonight." 

She finally looked up at him. "I'd like to, but I can't. It wouldn't be fair to her." 

"I know. It's ok. You gotta do right by her." He pondered for a few seconds. "Can I still text you?" 

"Sure, if you think of me while you're partying it up with your friends." 

"Well, yeah. Tonight, too. But I meant, since I won’t see you after this, can I still text you once the weekend's over?" 

Casey flushed with surprise. "You mean, you want to keep in touch after this?" 

"Yeah. I really do like you. And new friends are good for the soul." 

"Yeah, I guess that's true," she smiled. "You can text me if I can text you." 

He returned her smile. "Deal." 

She pulled her phone out. "I guess I can officially keep your number now." 

"You haven't done that yet?" 

"Well, it’s saved, but I didn't think we'd be keeping in touch so I was gonna delete it once I got home. Give you your privacy." 

"Oh." 

"I don't want to use your real name. You can't be too careful. What alias do you want?" 

Suddenly, Sean came up to them in a rush with Elaine not far behind him. "Hey man, did you forget about the autographs? They're looking for you." 

"Oh shit," said Clifton. "Ok I'm coming." He turned to Casey. "You pick. Surprise me." 

"Ok. I'll come up with something." 

"Ok cool. We'll talk later." They all said their goodbyes. Clifton winked at Casey before walking away with Sean. 

Once the boys were out of earshot, Elaine pounced. "Ahem. We'll talk later? What's that about?" 

Casey rolled her eyes. "Nothing like what you're probably thinking." 

"Really? Because I'm thinking you'll be talking to him again later when you're supposed to be not getting carried away." 

"Dude, I'm gonna talk to him, not see him. I'll be with you, remember? He just wants to keep in touch. As friends." 

"Friends? Did he say that?" 

"Actually, yes. So we will. And if at any point he stops texting, or if he never actually texts me at all, I'll just let it go. In the meantime, we'll be friends." 

"Uh-huh. I'm gonna hold you to those words." 

"Good. A little backup never hurt." 

As they walked back out to the con floor, Casey quickly edited Clifton’s contact info in her phone before slipping it back into her pocket.


End file.
